Heart Health Archive

Mental stress ischemia occurs when emotional stress causes a decline in blood flow to the heart. The condition, which affects about one in six people with heart disease, may more than double a person's risk of heart attack. Mental stress ischemia appears to be caused in part by changes in the wall and inner lining of the heart's smallest blood vessels. Known as microvascular disease, this problem tends to be more prevalent in women. In contrast, a more common cause of chest pain is narrowing of the large arteries of the heart.

Stir-fries feature a healthy dose of vegetables combined with lean protein and a flavorful sauce. When served over steamed brown rice, stir fries are a good example of a well-balanced, nutritious meal.

Dietary fat can both help and hurt heart health, depending on the source. Eating adequate amounts of the "good" fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated—can help reduce cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. "Bad" saturated fat found in many processed foods can have the opposite effect. Following heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean and DASH diets and making small substitutions in daily eating habits can ensure people get the proper amounts of good fats.

People who fall asleep between 10 and 11 p.m. may be less likely to develop heart disease than those who start their slumber earlier or later.

A substance that binds to blood clots may one day offer a novel, less invasive strategy for finding dangerous clots in the heart and elsewhere in the body.

People who sip several daily cups of both coffee and tea may be less likely to have a stroke than people who don't drink either beverage.

When a smart watch alert suggests that person's heart rate is below 40 beats per minute, it could be an error, especially if no symptoms are present. But it could signal a heart problem called bradycardia that has many possible causes.

Stimulant medications, which are usually prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder in children, are being prescribed increasingly to older adults. These drugs may cause a short-term spike in the risk of heart-related problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias. Dietary supplements that promise weight loss or better physical or mental performance may contain prohibited, unlisted, and potentially dangerous stimulants.