Heart Health Archive

Doctors have long prescribed drugs called beta blockers to all heart attack survivors. These drugs, which slow down the heart and lower blood pressure, include atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol). Growing evidence suggests that these drugs offer no meaningful benefit for people whose hearts still pump normally after a heart attack. Sometimes, however, a heart attack leaves the left ventricle (the heart's main pumping chamber) unable to contract effectively. When that's the case, beta blockers are still recommended.

Many people with atrial fibrillation (afib) - a rapid, irregular heart rhythm - need to control symptoms, such as the feeling that the heart is racing or fluttering. Medication options include drugs that slow down the heart or help restore its rhythm. Because afib can also increase the risk of blood clots that can lead to a stroke, many of these people also need to take clot-preventing medications.

An apolipoprotein B (apoB) test counts the number of LDL particles in the bloodstream as well as other particles that can contribute to clogged arteries and heart attacks. All of these so-called atherogenic particles carry a single apoB molecule but varying amounts of cholesterol. ApoB values are more closely linked to heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol. People with signs of an unhealthy metabolism-such as prediabetes, a big belly, or elevated triglycerides-are far more likely to have a high apoB.

A 2025 study suggests that more than 99% of people who have a first-time heart attack, stroke, or heart failure have at least one of four risk factors: unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar levels, or past or present smoking.

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

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

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.

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.