Heart Health Archive

Home sleep tests to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may reliably detect the disorder even if a sleep specialist is not involved. Marked by loud snoring and breathing lapses during sleep, OSA can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Often referred to as a ministroke , a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, often lasts only minutes, but acts as a warning for a potential full stroke.

Stumble walking across the room? You simply aren't watching your step. Forget a name or can't get out the right words? It's just a fuzzy senior moment. Feeling a little dizzy? You only need to sit down for a second.

New research found that heart failure patients who had a flu shot had a 30% lower risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease, 16% lower risk of hospitalization for respiratory infections, and a 4% lower risk of hospitalization in general. 

An electronic home blood pressure monitor is a better option than a store-based machine for measuring blood pressure between doctor office visits. Arm cuff machines are more accurate than wrist cuff models. 

Your resting heart rate can be an instant measure of your present and future health.

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One of the easiest ways to gauge your health can be done in 30 seconds with two fingers. Measuring your resting heart rate (RHR), the number of heartbeats per minute while at rest, provides a real-time snapshot of your heart muscle function.

It is easy to do. Place your index and middle finger on your wrist just below the thumb, or on your neck to one side of your throat, so you can feel your pulse. Use a watch to count the number of beats for 30 seconds and double it to get your beats per minute. Repeat a few times to get an accurate reading. A normal RHR for most adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Migraine headaches are associated with an increased risk of heart disease as well as stroke in women.

Age-related drops in sex hormone levels sometimes cause undesirable symptoms. But is hormone therapy safe for the heart?

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A decline in sex hormones is a natural part of growing older. Still, it's only natural to want to feel robust, mentally sharp, and healthy as we age. So it's no surprise that hormone therapy—which has been touted by drug companies as a way to restore youthful vigor, first for women and more recently for men—has generated so much interest.

But hormone therapy has a long, controversial history, particularly with regard to how it may affect the risk for common, chronic health problems. The following is a summary of what we know—and don't know—about the cardiovascular effects of hormone therapy for women and men.

Recovering from heart bypass surgery usually takes at least six weeks. Common challenges include feeling weak and tired, a loss of appetite, constipation, and depression. Also, heavy lifting and driving should be avoided. 

If you're at risk for heart disease, you may need additional testing before a hip replacement or other major surgery.

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All surgery, even minor procedures like cataract removal, involves a certain amount of stress. People facing surgery might experience emotional stress related to their illness or condition, often coupled with concerns about their recovery.

Some of the most common noncardiac surgeries done in older people, such as a hip replacement or gallbladder removal, can also put physical stress on the heart. Anesthesia and the operation itself can causes changes in heart rate and blood pressure as well as unmask previously undiagnosed heart disease.