CoQ10: Should you take this popular supplement if you're on a statin?
Microplastics: A hidden health threat?
Oat vs. dairy milk: Nutrition, benefits, and downsides
What is tempeh? Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it
Healing after food poisoning
Children of centenarians may stay healthier and live longer too, study finds
Light exposure at night may raise risk for heart disease
A lumbar belt may help ease low back pain
Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once
Signs of pneumonia: Sometimes vague and unexpected
Heart Health Archive
Articles
No place like home for accurate blood pressure checks
Research we're watching
Reliable blood pressure readings are vital for diagnosing high blood pressure and estimating a person's risk of heart disease. New research suggests that using a home blood pressure monitor may be more dependable than other methods.
Doctors have long relied on office visits to check people's blood pressure. But growing evidence shows that readings done outside a doctor's office are more closely linked to a person's risk of heart-related problems. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) involves wearing a device that automatically records blood pressure every 30 to 60 minutes for 24 hours, but it's not widely available.
"Green" Mediterranean diet: Better than the original?
Research we're watching
Widely considered the healthiest diet for your heart, the Mediterranean diet is rich in plant-based foods and features only small amounts of meat and dairy products. But a variation that includes more green plant foods may be even better for you, a small study suggests.
The study included 294 sedentary, moderately obese people whom researchers randomly divided into three groups. Each received different dietary advice: a standard healthy diet, a low-calorie Mediterranean diet, or a "green" Mediterranean diet. Both Mediterranean diet groups included about a quarter-cup of walnuts daily, and poultry and fish replaced beef and lamb.
Dangers of heavy drinking if you have atrial fibrillation
Research we're watching
People with atrial fibrillation (afib) who consume more than 14 alcoholic beverages a week may face a higher risk of stroke and other blood clot-related problems, according to a new study.
The study included 9,411 people with afib, who were divided into four groups based on how much they typically drank per week: abstainers or rare drinkers (less than one), light drinkers (less than seven), moderate (seven to 14), and heavy (14 or more). Researchers then tracked the participants for a median follow-up period of 17.4 months, noting the incidence of strokes, transient ischemic attacks (ministrokes), blood clots in a limb or organ (embolisms), or hospitalization for management of either atrial fibrillation or heart failure.
Control high blood pressure to protect memory and thinking skills
News briefs
Here's more incentive to keep your blood pressure under control: a large study published online Dec. 14, 2020, by the journal Hypertension suggests that high blood pressure hastens decline in cognitive abilities (thinking skills). Researchers analyzed two health assessments, taken about four years apart, of more than 7,000 middle-aged and older people in Brazil. The assessments noted changes in a number of cognitive skills, such as memory, language, and concentration. Regardless of age, people with high blood pressure had faster declines in cognitive performance, compared with people who had normal blood pressure. The researchers classified blood pressure as high if the top number was 130 or higher and the bottom number was 80 or higher. But even people with a top number between 120 and 130 experienced faster cognitive decline than people with normal blood pressure. The silver lining: the researchers found that treating high blood pressure at any age appeared to reduce or prevent accelerated cognitive decline. High blood pressure can be controlled with medications as well as pill-free approaches, such as losing weight, exercising, eating a heart-healthy diet, reducing alcohol intake, managing stress, and quitting smoking.
Image: © BananaStock/Getty Images
Understanding "blood thinners"
These drugs actually help stop dangerous blood clots from forming. Here's when you may need them.
Nearly everyone has heard of "blood thinners." Maybe you or someone you know takes one. But these drugs don't "thin" blood at all.
"They are actually anti-clotting drugs," says Dr. Gregory Piazza, a cardiologist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "They prevent potentially dangerous blood clots from developing in people at high risk, like those who have atrial fibrillation or a stent in a blood vessel, or who are immobile after surgery."
Affairs of the heart
Cardiovascular problems can conspire to put a damper on sexual enjoyment. Talking to your doctor and your partner can help.
A physical connection with your romantic partner is often an important part of a fulfilling relationship. But when it comes to matters of the heart, the health of your heart matters.
"A satisfying sex life depends on physical health, psychological well-being, and the quality of the relationship," says Dr. Jan Shifren, who directs the Massachusetts General Hospital Midlife Women's Health Center. Heart disease and related conditions can influence all three of those factors in both men and women. Here's a look at the range of those effects and some possible solutions.
More older adults are not aware of hypertension
In the journals
Do you know if you have hypertension (high blood pressure)? And if you do, are you treating it effectively? Study findings published online Sept. 9, 2020, by JAMA found that people's awareness and control of their high blood pressure have both dropped in recent years, especially among older adults.
The study pulled data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It found that the number of people who knew they had hypertension fell 8% from 2013 to 2018. Among those who were aware of their condition, more than half did not manage it adequately. In particular, adults ages 60 and older were less likely to control their high blood pressure than younger people. Lack of engagement could be a factor. Researchers noted that among people who hadn't been to their doctor in the past year, fewer than 10% had controlled their blood pressure.
What is bigeminy in a heartbeat?
Ask the doctor
Q. My aunt was having heart palpitations and recently found out that she has bigeminy. According to her doctor, it's not serious. But what exactly is this condition?
A. Bigeminy refers to a heartbeat marked by two beats close together with a pause following each pair of beats. The term comes from the Latin bigeminus, meaning double or paired (bi means two, geminus means twin).
Why junk food diets may raise heart disease risk
Hamburgers, fries, sugary sodas, and other less healthy foods may cause inflammation, a key player in the formation of artery-clogging plaque.
Eating foods such as red meat and sugary treats may trigger inflammation, raising your risk of cardiovascular disease. But a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other anti-inflammatory foods reduces the risk, according to a large Harvard study.
"These new findings help explain why certain foods we consider unhealthy may be contributing to plaque buildup inside arteries," says Dr. Kathryn Rexrode, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a co-author of the study, published last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Inflammation is marked by the release of molecules called cytokines into the bloodstream. These attract immune cells to artery walls, contributing to the development of plaque, she explains.
Fears about statin side effects: Often unfounded?
A novel study suggests that the "nocebo effect" could be why some people believe they cannot tolerate statins.
Are you hesitant to fill your statin prescription because you're worried the drug will cause muscle aches and other side effects? Although you're far from alone (see "A royal pain?"), the reality is that all drugs have side effects, and statins aren't worse than other drugs. And fears about statin side effects may be depriving people of a potentially lifesaving medication.
The nocebo effect — the flip side of the well-known placebo effect — occurs when people experience negative effects from a drug, placebo, or other treatment based on an expectation of harm. Because of the widespread belief that statins cause muscle aches, statins have been suspected of triggering a strong nocebo effect. A recent study confirmed this observation (see "A study to assess statin side effects").
CoQ10: Should you take this popular supplement if you're on a statin?
Microplastics: A hidden health threat?
Oat vs. dairy milk: Nutrition, benefits, and downsides
What is tempeh? Benefits, nutrition, and how to use it
Healing after food poisoning
Children of centenarians may stay healthier and live longer too, study finds
Light exposure at night may raise risk for heart disease
A lumbar belt may help ease low back pain
Whole grains may improve several heart risk factors at once
Signs of pneumonia: Sometimes vague and unexpected
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