Heart Health Archive

Four eating patterns—including the DASH, Mediterranean, pescatarian, and vegetarian diets—align most closely with recommendations for a heart-healthy diet, according to a 2023 scientific statement from the American Heart Association. These diets limit saturated fat and excess carbohydrates, especially highly processed carbohydrates and sugary drinks. Evidence supporting these diets comes from decades of randomized trials, population-based studies, and other research.

A spray version of nitroglycerin (a drug used to treat angina) is just as effective as the under-the-tongue pill version of the drug. The spray also has a longer shelf life.

Your doctor may ask you to track your blood pressure at home to help decide if you need to start taking medication or to track your response to treatment. Here's how to get accurate readings.

Anxiety disorders promote the stress response, which influences the same brain systems that affect cardiovascular functions.

The thyroid gland releases hormones that affect the heart. Too little thyroid hormone slows the heart rate and may boost blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while too much can trigger abnormal heart rhythms and high blood pressure.

Ignoring the warning signs of a ministroke can lead to a major stroke at a later time. People should be evaluated right away for symptoms such as speech and vision problems or weakness in an arm or leg.

Lifestyle habits to prevent heart disease and strokes may also lower a person's risk for two other leading causes of death: cancer and dementia.

Wearing a device that automatically records blood pressure every 30 to 60 minutes for 24 hours (known as ambulatory blood pressure monitoring) may better predict death from cardiovascular disease and other causes than clinic blood pressure readings.

A calcium score, which quantifies the plaque inside the heart's arteries, can sometimes improve the ability to assess a person's risk of heart disease beyond the traditional heart disease risk score.

A heart-healthy diet that focuses on plant-based foods is closely tied to improved physical fitness. In a 2023 study, higher healthy diet scores had an effect that was similar to taking an additional 4,000 steps per day.