Heart Health Archive

About a third of healthy people-and about 60% of people with high blood pressure-are salt sensitive, meaning they have an exaggerated response to dietary sodium. But an estimated one in 10 people may have inverse salt sensitivity: their blood pressure goes up when they eat less salt. Understanding the genetic basis of these differences may one day improve the treatment of blood pressure.

Tiny mesh tubes called stents, used to prop open heart arteries, can relieve stable angina (chest pain with exertion or emotional stress) in many people with coronary artery disease. But this treatment-which carries a risk of complications and a high cost-should be reserved only for people who don't get relief from drug therapy. Stents do not prevent future heart attacks or improve survival compared with drug therapy. Angina usually results from arteries that are more than 70% blocked, but most heart attacks occur in arteries that are narrowed by only about 40% or less but harbor plaque that ruptures without warning. The resulting blood clot blocks blood flow, triggering a heart attack.

A 2023 study suggests that moving, standing, or even sleeping are all better than sitting for people's weight, waistlines, and heart health.

The PREVENT equation is a new online calculator to predict a person's odds of developing heart disease. Compared to previous calculators, the updated tool considers broader measures of health (including biomarkers for kidney and metabolic health) and a longer age span (starting at 30 instead of 40 years of age). The goal is to encourage earlier, more targeted strategies to help people avoid cardiovascular problems.

Replacing just five minutes of sitting with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may lead to tangible improvements in cardiovascular health. Adding longer, more intense bouts of exercise can reap greater rewards. But even modest changes such as replacing sitting with standing may lead to positive changes in health parameters, including improvements in body mass index, waist circumference, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels.

People whose spouses have high blood pressure may be more likely to have high blood pressure themselves than people whose spouses do not have the condition, according to a 2023 study.

A 2023 study suggests replacing a daily serving of processed meats with whole grains, nuts, or beans is associated with lower odds of cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack or stroke.

Many studies suggest that fiber-rich diets may help prevent heart disease. But most Americans eat only about 16 grams of fiber a day-far less than the recommended amounts.

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of interrelated health conditions that significantly increases the risk for heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and more. A diagnosis requires at least three of the following risk factors: obesity, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Metabolic syndrome can be reversed if it's recognized. Losing weight is central to reducing many of its features. Lowering elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels also plays a major role in reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke.

A significant reduction in salt intake may directly lower blood pressure in even more people than previously believed.