Heart Health Archive

A 2024 study involving more than 72,000 healthy people ages 40 to 79 found that those whose sleep and wake times fluctuated most had a 26% higher risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or similar problem, compared with those whose sleep patterns fluctuated least.

Both the Mediterranean diet and vegan diet can help stave off heart disease. But while the Mediterranean diet is slightly more expensive than the standard American diet, a vegan diet is 19% lower in cost, according to a 2024 analysis.

In a 2024 study, researchers found that the heart rate variability of a dog and its owner mirror each other during interactions, which may reflect the strong emotional connection between humans and their dogs.

Each year, an estimated 700,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest, when the heart abruptly stops beating, causing the person to collapse and stop breathing. Immediately performing hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can more than double the odds of survival. Experts recommend that all adults should take an in-person CPR class at least once and have a refresher course every two to three years.

Heart-healthy Valentine's Day gift ideas include products and experiences designed to make it easier and more enjoyable to follow the key tenets of a healthy lifestyle: eating well, getting regular exercise, sleeping soundly, and managing stress. Examples include strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, a cooking class, custom-fit sneakers, luxury sleep products, and a subscription to a meditation app.

The two main side effects caused by statins are muscle aches (which disappear once the drug is stopped) and a higher risk of diabetes (which is most common in people with obesity and prediabetes).

According to a 2024 study, people who reported work-related stress were more likely to have unfavorable measures of cardiovascular health than those without that stress.

Broken heart syndrome (officially known as takotsubo syndrome) causes symptoms similar to a heart attack. While intense emotional stress can trigger the condition, physical stressors such as surgery or severe illness are more common causes. Most cases occur in women, but proportion of cases recognized in men has risen in recent decades. Most people fully recover within weeks to months. But those who also have other serious health conditions may face a higher risk of dying within two months after being diagnosed with takotsubo syndrome.