Heart Health Archive

Up to three in 10 people who use marijuana may be unable to stop using the drug, even when it has negative effects on their lives. A 2023 study links this problem— known as cannabis use disorder—to a higher risk of heart problems.

Diets high in added sugars are linked to an increased risk of coronary artery disease, but naturally occurring sugars in fruits and vegetables are not. Nearly 70% of added sugar in the American diet comes from sugary beverages, desserts and sweet snacks, candy, and breakfast bars and cereals. Consuming excess added sugar promotes weight gain and diabetes and also spurs the liver to pump out triglycerides and other fats into the bloodstream.

A nonsurgical approach for replacing a damaged aortic valve, known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), has become very popular in recent years. But it may not make sense for people in their 60s, who are likely to need a second valve replacement later in life. The valves used in TAVR only last about 10 years, on average. In addition, diagnosing and treating coronary artery disease may be more challenging in people who've had TAVR. Also, the surgery to replace a failed TAVR valve is more complicated than regular valve replacement surgery. So people who are likely to need least one traditional valve surgery are better off having the surgery in their 60s rather than in their 70s. A TAVR can be done the second time around.

Blood thinners don't "thin" blood; rather, they discourage blood from clotting. Candidates for anti-clotting drugs are people at high risk for dangerous blood clots, such as those with atrial fibrillation or those who have received a stent. Others who can benefit from an anti-clotting drug are people who are immobile after surgery and individuals who have had deep-vein thrombosis (clots in the veins of the legs or arms) or pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs). A higher risk of bleeding is the main side effect, but most people can tolerate the medication.

In women, sleep problems—including falling asleep, staying asleep, and insufficient sleep—were associated with a greater risk of high blood pressure.

Taking supplements that contain high levels of biotin (vitamin B₇) can lead to falsely low or falsely high results on a troponin test, a blood test used to diagnose heart attacks.

Ejection fraction is the fraction (expressed as a percentage) of the blood that the heart "ejects" out to the rest of the body when it contracts. Low ejection fraction signals one form of heart failure. An echocardiogram is the standard test to measure ejection fraction.

Dietary choices can influence weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels, all factors that can determine a person's risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Adopting certain eating habits can help manage these factors. These include reducing the intake of saturated fat and refined sugar that are included in many processed foods, eating more healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and following a plant-based diet like the Mediterranean or DASH diet.

Men who report specific types of job-related stress face a higher risk of heart disease than those without such stress, according to a 2023 study.