Stroke Archive

Women's Health

Reducing heart risks in the wake of breast cancer treatment

Published August 1, 2021

Hormone therapy is a highly successful breast cancer treatment for women, but it can elevate cardiovascular risk. Women can reduce those risks by being vigilant about their heart health and working closely with their doctors. Women who have taken or are taking these medications as part of breast cancer treatment should focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly, and keeping close tabs on their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels.

Staying Healthy

Look inside your heart

Published August 1, 2021

The traditional measures to gauge heart disease risk don’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes more medical information is needed. An increasingly used test to predict a person’s risk for heart attack or stroke is a coronary artery calcium scan. It measures the amount of calcified plaque in the heart’s arteries, high levels of which suggest higher overall plaque buildup. The number can determine if people should begin statin therapy and make additional lifestyle changes.

Heart Health

Screening for atrial fibrillation: An update

Published August 1, 2021

Atrial fibrillation (afib), an often-silent heart rhythm disorder, increases the risk of stroke. Early detection may enable people to start taking anti-clotting drugs to prevent a stroke. Current afib screening methods include asking people about afib symptoms and taking an electrocardiogram during routine check-ups. Wearable devices such as smart watches and fitness trackers can detect afib, but they aren’t yet accurate enough to be used for widespread screening.

Mind & Mood

What's the relationship between diabetes and dementia?

Published July 12, 2021

It has been known for many years that type 2 diabetes increases a person's risk for stroke and heart disease, and more recent studies have shown that diabetes also increases risk of dementia. But new research examined the association between when a person first is diagnosed with diabetes and their risk of developing dementia later.

Staying Healthy

Do I need to take my blood pressure in both arms?

Published July 1, 2021

Taking blood pressure readings in both arms can help reveal potential heart risks.

Diseases & Conditions

Which disease starts first?

Published July 1, 2021

Among atherosclerosis, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which are all related, cholesterol deposits start first.

Heart Health

Advice about daily aspirin

Published July 1, 2021

The heart-protecting benefits of a daily low-dose aspirin have to be weighed against the risk of bleeding, a common side effect that is usually minor but sometimes serious. The calculation depends on age and whether a person has cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or a condition that raises risk of bleeding.

Women's Health

Is a "normal" blood pressure reading too high for women?

Updated June 1, 2021

A study published Feb. 16, 2021, in Circulation found that women with blood pressure readings in a normal range may still be at higher risk for cardiovascular events. For example, heart attack risk in women rose at a systolic (the upper number) reading of 110 to 119 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and was the same at this level as men with a systolic pressure of 160 mm Hg. But experts say it’s too soon to change blood pressure recommendations for women until more research confirms the results.

Heart Health

Alternatives to warfarin may be safer, more effective for afib

Updated June 1, 2021

For people with certain types of valvular atrial fibrillation, drugs known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) may be safer and more effective than warfarin (Coumadin). DOACs include apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

Heart Health

Diastolic blood pressure: Worth a second look?

Updated June 1, 2021

A diastolic blood pressure reading lower than 60 mm Hg may be linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people at high cardiovascular risk. Diastolic pressure tends to fall with age. Some people with a low reading have a leaky aortic valve, which interferes with normal blood circulation throughout the heart and causes diastolic pressure to fall. But in people with healthy aortic valves who can be physically active without any symptoms (such as chest pressure, shortness of breath, or lightheadedness), a low diastolic blood pressure should not pose a problem.

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Stroke Archive

Articles

Reducing heart risks in the wake of breast cancer treatment

Look inside your heart

Screening for atrial fibrillation: An update

What's the relationship between diabetes and dementia?

Do I need to take my blood pressure in both arms?

Which disease starts first?

Advice about daily aspirin

Is a "normal" blood pressure reading too high for women?

Alternatives to warfarin may be safer, more effective for afib

Diastolic blood pressure: Worth a second look?

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