Heart Health Archive

Most people typically get around 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day doing things such as household chores, going to the mailbox, or grocery shopping. But people who walk 8,000 steps per day (about 4 miles in total) may live longer than those who walk just 4,000 steps per day—and walking speed doesn't seem to matter. People who walk 12,000 steps per day may live even longer than those who take 8,000 steps. But the added benefit was small, and walking even more may not make a difference.

The more salt people eat, the greater their risk of clogged heart and neck arteries, a 2023 study suggests. Narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis) can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Lunges, which strengthen the entire lower body, are a good example of a functional exercise. These exercises mimic everyday actions (such as picking something up off the floor), thereby improving physical functioning throughout the day.

COVID-19 may increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, up to a year after the infection. But vaccination appears to lower these risks. Getting just one dose of a COVID vaccine may halve the risk of myocarditis, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the heart muscle that can arise after viral infections.

A common complaint among statin users is that the drugs increase pain during and after exercise. A 2023 study suggests statins won't exacerbate usual muscle symptoms from moderate-intensity exercise.

People with diabetes who take pain relievers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be at higher risk of heart failure, according to a 2023 study. NSAIDs include ibuprofen, which is sold over the counter as Advil and Motrin.

More than one in seven adults has chronic kidney disease, yet many of them aren't aware of the problem. Early-stage kidney disease often has no symptoms, but the condition slowly and silently worsens over time. The two most common causes of chronic kidney disease—high blood pressure and diabetes—are also leading risk factors for heart disease, which means the two diseases often overlap. Most people know their blood pressure and cholesterol values, but few are familiar with the tests used to assess kidney health. They include serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urine protein tests.

Marijuana use, which is rising among older adults, appears to heighten the risk of heart-related problems. Cannabis is known to increase heart rate and blood pressure, although high doses can have the opposite effect. Marijuana use has been implicated in causing heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, stress cardiomyopathy, and arteritis.

Major league baseball players have team cardiologists to diagnose and treat common cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. Distinguishing normal exercise-induced cardiac remodeling (which may cause the heart's main pumping chamber to enlarge) from certain inherited or acquired heart diseases, known as cardiomyopathies, often requires a specialist.