Heart Health Archive

When blood pressure remains high despite treatment, making certain lifestyle changes can help. Examples include reducing dietary sodium and increasing dietary potassium, losing weight, limiting alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day, exercising (doing aerobics and strength training), using tools that improve medication adherence (such as an automatic pill dispenser, a medication diary, a smartphone alarm, or a reminder app), quitting smoking, getting more sleep, managing stress, and reducing caffeine intake.

A 2025 studyfound that intermuscular fat-fat stored within muscle tissue-may increase a person's risk of heart disease.

Substituting potassium-containing salt substitutes for regular salt can help lower blood pressure as well as the risk of stroke. But people should also check the sodium content in foods and eat more potassium-rich produce.

People with a family history of heart disease and high LDL cholesterol should consult their doctor about lowering their LDL levels to less than 70 milligrams per deciliter, which often means taking a statin, eating a healthier diet and exercising regularly.

Blood pressure problems might contribute to glaucoma, a condition that damages the optic nerves and causes vision loss. If blood pressure is too low, for example, blood flow to the optic nerves might decrease. That could deprive the optic nerves of oxygen and nutrients, resulting in nerve damage. High blood pressure might also reduce blood flow to the optic nerves, by damaging the blood vessels that supply the nerves. If glaucoma gets worse despite treatment, blood pressure should be considered as a factor.

To optimize cardiovascular health, the best strategy may be a workout that combines three types of exercise: moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, and strength training. Moderate activity burns calories and boosts metabolism, which helps control weight. Moderate-to-vigorous exercise also helps dampen the body's "fight or flight" response, which plays a role in chronic stress and anxiety. Aerobic exercise in general also helps the heart to become more efficient and blood vessels to become more flexible. Strength training makes the body more efficient at burning fat for energy and helps improve insulin sensitivity.

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) creates a 3D image of the heart and its blood vessels, revealing both obstructive and nonobstructive plaque. Most heart attacks occur when smaller, nonobstructive plaques rupture and form a clot that triggers a heart attack. Used to assess people with stable angina, CCTA may prevent heart attacks by improving how cardiologists find and treat heart disease.

A 2025 study found that in people who are overweight or obese, substituting standing and light walking in place of sitting may help improve blood levels of certain types of fats, including triglycerides and small, dense LDL cholesterol particles.

TV medical dramas often portray treatments for heart attacks and cardiac arrest. While the timelines are often accelerated and certain aspects may be dramatized to engage viewers, the medical details are, for the most part, factual and authentic. Writers and producers routinely rely on health care experts - including Harvard doctors - to make sure the information is accurate. For people with heart disease, seeing how emergency physicians treat urgent conditions may show them what to expect.

Older people with atrial fibrillation are sometimes advised to stop taking clot-prevention drugs due to fears about bleeding. But a 2025 study suggests that the risk of stroke and heart attack from stopping the drugs outweighs the risk of bleeding.