Heart Health Archive

Heart Health

Yoga: A gateway to healthier habits?

Published October 1, 2021

Yoga addresses multiple factors that underlie heart disease, including both physical and psychological issues. Yoga can improve strength and fitness, foster better sleep, and encourage slow, deep breathing, which helps lower blood pressure and heart rate. The relaxation aspect of yoga trains the nervous system to be less reactive during times of stress. By cultivating greater mind-body awareness, yoga can help people become more in tune with their bodies and how their daily habits affect how they feel.

Healthy aging and longevity

Harvard Health Ad Watch: Can a wearable device reduce stress?

Published September 22, 2021

Stress can affect sleep, mood, and appetite, and the long-term effects of chronic stress have been linked to health issues like cardiovascular disease, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. A wearable device claims that it can reduce stress and build the wearer's resistance to stressful situations — but how does it work, and can any of its claims be proven?

Heart Health

A closer look at heart disease risk

Updated September 21, 2021

Sometimes the presence of atherosclerosis, the disease underlying most heart attacks, is not clear or easily recognized, especially before a heart attack or other crisis happens. In those instances, doctors may rely on a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan, which measures the amount of calcium in the heart's arteries, high levels of which are associated with cardiovascular disease. The CAC results can help predict a person's risk for heart attack or stroke, even if that person doesn't have obvious risk factors or symptoms.

Heart Health

In your eyes: Clues to heart disease risk?

Published September 1, 2021

The eyes may provide clues to the presence of cardiovascular disease. Ocular (eye) strokes can foreshadow a more serious stroke, and early damage to tiny eye blood vessels can be a harbinger of heart problems. Diabetes and high blood pressure (both common risk factors for heart disease) can damage vessels that supply the retina. Some middle-aged and older adults develop soft, yellowish, cholesterol-filled bumps on or around their eyelids. Called xanthelasmas, they can be a sign of high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, or other fats in the blood, which also raises heart disease risk.

Heart Health

Alcohol and atrial fibrillation

Published September 1, 2021

Even small amounts of alcohol—a single drink per day—has been linked to a higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation.

Heart Health

Beyond blood pressure: Added benefits from the DASH diet

Published September 1, 2021

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating pattern doesn’t just lower blood pressure. It may also reduce inflammation, heart injury, and heart strain.

Heart Health

Wearable devices may encourage enough exercise to prevent afib

Published September 1, 2021

Getting the recommended amount of physical activity appears to lower the risk of atrial fibrillation (afib), a heart rhythm disorder that raises the risk of stroke.

Heart Health

Plant-based meat alternatives: How do they stack up?

Published September 1, 2021

Meatless burgers, which contain protein from plant sources such as peas, mung beans, and soy, may be better for cardiovascular health than regular hamburgers, especially if eaten with sides and drinks that are healthier than typical fast-food fare. Plant-based burgers are highly processed and contain more sodium than regular hamburgers. But blood levels of factors linked to heart disease, such as TMAO and LDL, may decrease when people eat plant-based meat instead of red meat.

Heart Health

When imaging tests reveal unexpected findings

Published September 1, 2021

Heart imaging tests sometimes reveal potentially worrisome abnormalities in or near the heart that are unrelated to the original reason for the test. These "incidentalomas" are usually harmless, but not always. Before undergoing heart imaging tests, people should understand how the results may change their treatment and if they are willing to receive that therapy. If a test reveals an incidentaloma, a second opinion from a highly experienced cardiologist or radiologist may help patients feel more confident that a concerning finding is treated appropriately.

Heart Health

Gentle exercises for older, frail people

Published September 1, 2021

Older, frail people with a history of heart problems may benefit from sessions with a physical therapy. Gentle, personalized exercise to improve strength and balance can help them avoid falls and preserve their independence. Falls are especially dangerous for people taking anti-clotting medications (which are prescribed for many heart problems) because these drugs increase the risk of bleeding. Physical therapists can check a person’s heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation at rest and then after a short period of exercise to make sure they’re exercising at an appropriate level.

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Heart Health Archive

Articles

Yoga: A gateway to healthier habits?

Harvard Health Ad Watch: Can a wearable device reduce stress?

A closer look at heart disease risk

In your eyes: Clues to heart disease risk?

Alcohol and atrial fibrillation

Beyond blood pressure: Added benefits from the DASH diet

Wearable devices may encourage enough exercise to prevent afib

Plant-based meat alternatives: How do they stack up?

When imaging tests reveal unexpected findings

Gentle exercises for older, frail people

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