Heart Health Archive

Most healthy diets easily provide adequate amounts of protein. For optimal heart health, people should pay more attention to the quality rather than the quantity of protein they consume. However, people who take weight-loss drugs and those who have kidney disease may need to track their protein intake more closely. Everyone should aim to include plenty of plant-based sources of protein (such as beans, nuts, and soy-based foods like tofu and tempeh) in their diets.

A heart rate below 60 beats per minute, called bradycardia, is fairly common in people older than 70. The most common permanent cause is age-related degenerative changes in the heart's conduction system. Previous heart problems, including a heart attack or heart surgery, make the problem more likely. Medical issues including sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, and certain medications can also cause bradycardia. People experiencing a low heart rate and symptoms such as feeling dizzy, lightheaded, fatigued, or breathless should seek medical care right away.

Orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure when standing up. If it ever leads to loss of consciousness or a fall, it can be dangerous.

Large studies have not found evidence of higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, or other cardiovascular diseases in people who eat up to one egg per day.

A normal pulse rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Possible causes of an elevated pulse include fever, anemia, anxiety, or an overactive thyroid. Other possibilities include too much caffeine, decongestants, or being out of shape.

Metformin, a medicine prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, also has cardiovascular benefits and is used off-label to treat other conditions. Interest is growing in its potential to help lower risks for other serious health problems and even slow aspects of aging, but which of these benefits, if any, apply to people who do not have diabetes?

I?ve read that a normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Mine runs around 45 to 48. Should I be concerned? I have been a runner for 42 years and have completed seven marathons.

Lightheadedness is a feeling of wooziness or faintness. It is commonly caused by dehydration, drug side effects, blood pressure drops, low blood sugar, heart disease, or stroke.

A second opinion from a cardiologist may be helpful for people considering whether to undergo a specialized heart procedure. Such consultations may be increasingly appropriate as new, minimally invasive treatments for various heart problems become more widely available and more specialized. Others who might seek a second opinion include people with heart-related symptoms that persist despite treatment, who have been told they have no more options.

Telemedicine visits combined with self-measured blood pressure readings may help control high blood pressure better than traditional clinic visits, according to a 2024 study.