Heart Health Archive

A 2024 study suggests using cannabis weekly may be associated with an increase in people's risks of heart attack and stroke, and the risks rise dramatically with more frequent use.

The spouses of people who have heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure may face an elevated risk of depression, according to a 2024 study.

People who have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease should be extra cautious when exercising outside when it's hot, humid, and hazy, as they are more vulnerable to the hazards of high temperature and air pollution. To exercise safely during a heat wave, people should avoid being outside during the middle of the day; wear light-colored, lightweight clothing; and be careful to stay hydrated.

Physical activity lowers cardiovascular disease risk in part by reducing stress-related activity in the brain, according to a 2024 study.

The American Heart Association's first-ever scientific statement on artificial intelligence (A.I.) in cardiology explores how the technology may improve how doctors prevent, detect, and treat heart disease. For example, A.I. data from patch monitors may predict who will develop potentially serious heart rhythms. Applying A.I. tools to a single chest x-ray may predict a person's risk of heart attack and other serious health problems.

Using a Web-based app, most people can correctly assess their need for a cholesterol-lowering statin and take the drug appropriately with good results, according to a 2024 study. If approved, the app could facilitate statin use without a doctor's prescription.

Older adults might be able to lower their blood pressure by reducing their sitting time by as little as 30 minutes per day, according to a 2024 study.

Cardiac rehabilitation, a personalized program of supervised exercise and heart-healthy lifestyle coaching, helps people recover from heart-related problems, including stable angina, heart attack, heart surgery, and stable heart failure. A 12-week program helps people regain their stamina, enabling them to resume their favorite activities, and may also lessen stress and depression. Cardiac rehab is also proven to lower the risk of future heart-related illness and hospitalization and may help people live longer.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia is caused by an electrical glitch in the heart's upper chamber that causes the heart rate to suddenly soar for no apparent reason-sometimes as high as 200 beats per minute. The condition, which people describe as palpitations or a fluttering sensation in the chest, is usually not dangerous. But long-lasting bouts can lead to lightheadedness, breathlessness, and fainting.