Heart Health Archive

A diet high in ultra-processed foods is linked to higher burden of fatty plaque in the carotid arteries, according to a 2025 study.

Eating two eggs per day doesn’t appear to raise harmful LDL cholesterol, as long as people follow a diet low in saturated fat. Although eggs are high in cholesterol, dietary cholesterol doesn’t have much of an effect on the amount in a person’s bloodstream. But excess dietary saturated fat does raise blood cholesterol, which is why people should limit their saturated fat to 7% of their daily calories.

Circadian rhythms, which are hardwired into nearly every cell of the body, regulate the heart and blood vessels. Disruptions to this rhythm—from shift work, poor sleep, or unhealthy habits—can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, heart attacks are more likely to occur on Mondays than any other day of the week. That’s because people tend to stay up later than usual and then sleep in the next day. On Monday morning, when they have to wake up early again for work, the change may cause subtle changes in blood pressure, hormone secretion, and metabolism that raise heart attack risk.

Insufficient sleep triggers a long list of physiological and hormonal changes that contribute to heart disease. For example, a lack of sleep can cause increases in blood pressure, blood sugar, inflammation, and weight. Doctors recommend getting at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Strategies that promote better sleep include going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, creating a healthy sleep environment, and turning off electronics an hour before bedtime.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the tiny fluctuations in timing from one heartbeat to the next. Higher values are linked to better fitness levels and stress resilience.

A free online tool that estimates your heart’s age suggests that most adults have a heart that is older than their chronological age, according to a 2025 study.

A 2025 study suggests that higher fitness levels may help protect people from developing atrial fibrillation.

A diet low in sodium and rich in plant-based foods promotes a diverse, balanced population of gut microbes, which may help people maintain a healthy blood pressure. A salty diet increases the prevalence of bad microbes and reduces the number of beneficial microbes. When bad microbes accumulate in the gut, they form  breakdown products and toxins that promote inflammation. Beneficial microbes feed on fiber, which is why a diet that provides a mix of healthy fiber from plant-based foods helps. These microbes produce short-chain fatty acids, which interact with specific receptors on cells that help regulate blood pressure.

Obesity is a common, chronic disease that can harm the heart. The powerful weight-loss medications known as GLP-1s, semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), are now recommended as first-line therapy for eligible people, according to the American College of Cardiology. People using these drugs should work with a dietitian or nutritionist who can help them create a personalized eating plan that ensures they’re getting enough nutrients while minimizing common side effects.

Imaging tests such as chest CT scans and mammograms, which can detect calcium deposits in arteries, can provide information about a person’s cardiovascular health. These so-called incidental findings—when a medical test discovers something unrelated to the original purpose of the test—have become increasingly common in recent years. With a chest CT, calcifications are grouped into four categories: none, mild, moderate, or severe. That’s often enough for a cardiologist to make a solid decision about whether to maintain or intensify a person’s drug treatment to prevent heart disease progression.