Heart Health Archive

A 2023 study suggests that a "weekend warrior" exercise pattern, in which people concentrate their exercise into one or two days weekly, can lower cardiovascular risks as effectively as a pattern of spreading exercise out over the week.

Isometric exercises that engage the muscles without movement—such as wall squats and planks—may help lower blood pressure more than other types of strength training. Experts have speculated about a possible mechanism: During isometric exercise, clenched muscles temporarily constrain blood flow. The following surge of blood may stimulate the release of factors that help relax the vessels and ultimately contribute to a reduction in blood pressure.

Dietary choices can influence weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels, all factors that can determine a person's risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Adopting certain eating habits can help manage these factors. These include reducing the intake of saturated fat and refined sugar that are included in many processed foods, eating more healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and following a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean or DASH diet.

Older adults who take medications to lower their blood pressure may reduce their risk of dementia, according to a 2023 study. The finding reinforces the connection between heart and brain health.

For people with chronic coronary disease who do not have symptoms, new guidelines recommend against routine testing with cardiac CT angiography, echocardiography, and stress testing. The results are unhelpful—and in some cases harmful. Unclear results often general additional testing or unnecessary procedures, including some that expose people to radiation for no reason. In addition, the tests add expense without any corresponding benefit, and these costs are increasingly being passed back to patients, in the form of copayments or higher premiums.

Ejection fraction is the fraction (expressed as a percentage) of the blood that the heart "ejects" out to the rest of the body when it contracts. Low ejection fraction signals one form of heart failure. An echocardiogram is the standard test to measure ejection fraction.

Palliative care for heart failure aims to improve quality of life for patients and their families by addressing physical symptoms, and also emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual issues. This may include treating anxiety and depression in patients and supporting caregivers, who may be dealing with stress and worry. Palliative care also includes talking with patients about their personal goals and what matters most to them, which can help guide their care as the illness progresses.

Planks are an isometric exercise, in which the muscles contract but do not move. They are a great way to strengthen muscles in the abdomen, back, legs, shoulders, and arms.

Men who report specific types of job-related stress face a higher risk of heart disease than those without such stress, according to a 2023 study.

Despite statements like "promotes heart health" on the labels of fish oil supplements, multiple randomized trials show no evidence of heart-related benefits from using these products. In addition, manufacturing methods might make the products either useless or even harmful. The supplements do provide omega-3 fatty acids, but people can get these essential fats by eating two servings of fatty fish weekly or following a vegetarian diet rich in healthy oils, nuts, and seeds.