Heart Health Archive

Ask the doctors

Q. Two of my friends were recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Should I be screened for this condition?

A. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats in an abnormal rhythm, for either brief intervals or a more extended period. Some people with the condition experience symptoms such as dizziness, a racing heartbeat, or lightheadedness. But for many others, the condition is identified only when they have heart testing done as part of a physical examination. Medical experts don't currently recommend widespread screening for atrial fibrillation in people who don't have symptoms. While there are certainly benefits to diagnosing people who don't know they have the condition, testing large numbers of people is costly and could lead to false positives and unnecessary treatment.

In patients with acute coronary syndrome, studies have shown that cardiac catheterization can decrease heart attacks and improve survival. A recent study attempted to determine if the procedure would have comparable results in people with a more stable form of coronary artery disease.

Good news on health –– which seems hard to come by right now –– includes declines in the rates of six out of 10 major causes of death in the United States.

Emergency departments have seen a decline in people seeking care, even for serious conditions such as strokes and heart attacks, out of fear of contracting COVID-19. But delaying treatment in such situations could worsen the outcome, and precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of all patients.

Research we're watching

Sipping a cup of tea at least every other day or so may be good for your heart, according to a study published online January 9 by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

The study included data from more than 100,000 Chinese adults who were part of a long-term health study. The participants provided health and behavioral information, including how much tea they drank. The follow-up lasted an average of seven years.

Research we're watching

People may let healthy eating and exercise habits slide after starting prescription heart medications, according to a study in the February 18 Journal of the American Heart Association.

The study involved more than 40,000 Finnish people whose average age was 52. From 2000 to 2013, researchers surveyed them at least twice every four years about their body mass index and their exercise, smoking, and drinking habits. They used pharmacy records to track if the participants began taking blood pressure drugs or statins.

Research we're watching

Smart watches and wrist-worn fitness trackers that estimate your heart rate appear to be reliable in people with a range of different skin tones. But their accuracy may vary during different types of everyday activities, a new study finds.

Researchers recruited 53 people with different skin tones to test six different devices, which work by measuring changes in blood flow through the skin using a special sensor. The volunteers also wore electrocardiogram patches (which provide a gold-standard heart rate measurement) while they did different activities: sitting still, breathing deeply, walking, and typing.

In the journals

Moderate and heavy drinkers with atrial fibrillation (afib), a quivering or irregular heartbeat, can reduce their episodes by cutting out most alcohol, says a study published Jan. 2, 2020, in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Afib symptoms include weakness, shortness of breath, and palpitations, and alcohol is often cited as a common trigger. Afib is important not only because of the symptoms it may cause but it also increases your risk of stroke.

Ask the doctor

Q. I recently had an echocardiogram because my doctor heard a murmur, and I was told that my heart valves and heart function were both normal. But when I looked at the report, it indicated that I had an enlarged left atrium. What does that mean?

A. The left atrium is one of your heart's four chambers. Located in the upper half of the heart on the left side of your body, it receives freshly oxygenated blood from your lungs. This blood then surges down through the mitral valve into the left ventricle (the lower left chamber of the heart). Then, the blood travels up through the aortic valve and finally out to supply the body with oxygen.

Strength training may be just as good as aerobic activity for reducing cardiovascular risk.

Any type of movement that makes your heart work harder than usual — brisk walking, dancing, or cycling — will benefit your heart health. But many people don't realize that targeted exercises to strengthen muscles throughout your body may also help stave off heart disease.

"In the past, strong muscles were considered beneficial mainly from a functional standpoint — that is, they make tasks such as carrying groceries and doing laundry easier," says Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who studies the role of physical activity in disease prevention. Those perks are particularly important as people age.