Heart Attack Archive

A draft guideline from a national panel of experts recommends that people without heart disease who are 60 and older should not take low-dose aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke.

For people over 60, aiming for a blood pressure target below 130/80 mm Hg may prevent more cardiovascular problems than aiming for the higher target suggested by some physicians. Some feared that the more intensive treatment required to reach the lower target might cause more adverse side effects (such as dizziness and falls) in older people. But side effects do not appear to differ among people taking intensive versus standard therapy.

A large study published online Aug. 29, 2021, by The New England Journal of Medicine found that people who used a salt substitute on their food had a lower risk of stroke, heart attack, and early death, compared with people who used regular salt.

Low-carbohydrate diets have been popular for many years, but due to the high amounts of saturated fat, doctors and nutritionists worry about possible increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A study comparing three diets found that eating a high-fat diet did not necessarily raise heart risk, but the types and quantities of food make a difference.

Past research hinted at a link between heart disease and a high intake of calcium from supplements, but more recent analyses have not found a connection between the two.

A rapid heartbeat may be due to supraventricular tachycardia or ventricular tachycardia. The former is usually harmless, while the latter is more serious and more likely to occur in older people with heart disease.