Heart Health Archive

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.

With ticks thriving in a wider geographic range, appearing earlier and sticking around later, it's important to stay vigilant about protecting yourself against ticks that cause Lyme disease and other illnesses. Learn some steps you can take to avoid tick bites.

Long-term research found that higher consumption of butter increases mortality risk, while higher consumption of plant-based oil lowers it. And substituting certain plant oils for butter might help people live longer. What's a butter lover to do?

Strokes fall into two main categories: ischemic (which result from a blockage inside one of the brain's arteries and account for 87% of all strokes) and hemorrhagic (also known as bleeding strokes, usually from a ruptured blood vessel). Three main types of ischemic strokes are those that result from atherosclerosis in a large artery supplying the brain (large-artery atherothrombotic strokes); those caused by clots in the heart that travel to the brain (cardioembolic strokes); and those in the brain's smallest vessels (small-vessel strokes).

Leg pain may be caused by deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg. Left untreated, the clot may break off, travel to the lungs, and cause blockage in a lung artery, known as pulmonary embolism (PE), which can be life threatening. Diagnosis of DVT and PE may include a review of symptoms, a D-dimer blood test, a leg ultrasound, or a chest CT scan. Both conditions are most often treated with direct-acting oral anticoagulants.

Engaging in prosocial, altruistic behavior that benefits other people-such as doing volunteer work, giving money to charity, or performing small acts of kindness-may be beneficial to cardiovascular health. Possible mechanisms include reductions in stress and blood pressure. Volunteering has also been associated with improvements in heart-related risks, including increased step counts and less depression.

Statins are among the most-prescribed drugs in the United States, but some people are concerned about side effects. Lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise can help lower cholesterol enough to take a statin break

The approach to certain blood tests appears to be shifting. Doctors might stop ordering routine vitamin D screenings for healthy people younger than 75; they might order a one-time combination of lipoprotein(a), C-reactive protein, and LDL (bad) cholesterol tests as a way to predict future heart problems; and they might rely less on standard ranges designated as "normal" in a complete blood count (CBC) test, and instead focus more on comparing someone's latest CBC results to previous CBC tests.

Cancer survivors are more likely to die of heart disease than from cancer-related complications. One reason is that certain cancer treatments can cause cardiovascular complications. But the two diseases share many root causes, including tobacco use and obesity, as well as diabetes and high cholesterol. Growing evidence suggests that people with heart disease may be more likely to develop cancer.