Heart Health Archive

Heart palpitations are defined as an awareness of a strong, rapid, or irregular heartbeat. They are among the most common reasons people consult general internists and cardiologists. Most brief rhythm disruptions are harmless, such as those caused by an earlier-than-usual contraction of the heart's upper chambers (atria) or lower chambers (ventricles). These are often perceived as either a skipped beat or a pounding or flip-flopping sensation. A fluttering sensation in the chest may suggest an unusually fast heart rate, which can result from an electrical misfire in the upper part of the heart and may require treatment.

Drugs that discourage blood clots (commonly called blood thinners) don't actually make the blood less viscous. The two main types of these drugs, anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, interfere with different blood components involved in clot formation. Anticoagulants treat blood clots in the legs and lungs and are also prescribed to people with atrial fibrillation. Antiplatelet drugs are used to prevent heart attacks and strokes and to treat people who receive stents.

When doctors insert a stent into the heart's artery, they usually enter the body through an artery at the top of the thigh. But for some people, using a vessel in the arm may be a safer and less costly option.

Triglycerides are the most common form of fat both in food and in the bloodstream. Growing evidence suggests that above-normal triglyceride levels can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A rapid heart rate—tachycardia—is a key feature of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a mysterious condition that involves the nervous system and can cause a constellation of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, and brain fog, as well as pain in the chest, extremities, or elsewhere in the body. At least half of all cases of POTS are thought to be triggered by an infection (such as mononucleosis), which then spurs inflammation or an autoimmune response. Treatment includes drinking lots of water, eating lots of salt, and graded exercise training.