Heart Health Archive

For decades, people with atrial fibrillation were prescribed warfarin to prevent blood clots. But a new type of anticoagulant medication (known as DOACs) that came on the market in 2010 has proven to be at least as effective as warfarin, with fewer side effects and without the need for blood test monitoring.

Fluid buildup indicates worsening heart failure. Learn how to spot it and treat it early.

The buildup of excess fluid in your body can take a variety of forms from belly bloating and swollen ankles to nausea, persistent coughing and fatigue. You may be tempted initially to dismiss this hodgepodge of problems as having little to do with your heart. However, they all signal water retention, which can mean trouble for people with a history of heart failure.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is very rare in males too young to drive, but it begins to creep up after men are old enough to vote. In the U.S., the average age for a first heart attack in men is 65. That's why coronary artery disease is labeled a disease of senior citizens. But as many as 4% to 10% of all heart attacks occur before age 45, and most of these strike men. It's a reminder that men should not ignore warning symptoms just because they are "too young" to have heart disease. And since atherosclerosis can — and does — start in youth, it's a reminder that prevention should start early in life before problems develop.

What causes heart disease in young adults?

In older men, nearly all heart attacks are caused by atherosclerotic blockages in coronary arteries. Conventional coronary artery disease also predominates in young adults, accounting for about 80% of heart attacks. About 60% of these young patients have disease of just one coronary artery, while older patients are more likely to have disease in two or three arteries.

A higher-than-normal blood sugar level puts you at risk for developing diabetes and heart disease.

If you're hoping to avoid heart disease, you probably pay close attention to your blood cholesterol levels. But you also should keep an eye on your blood sugar, because an elevated blood sugar level is an early warning sign of diabetes, one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

A fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) means you may have a common precursor to diabetes, called prediabetes. (Normal blood sugar values range from 70 to 99 mg/dL.) An estimated one in three American adults has prediabetes, although most of them don't know it.

What Is It?

A heart transplant is surgery in which a patient with a life-threatening heart problem receives a new, healthy heart from a person who has died. In a heart transplant, the patient who receives the new heart (the recipient) is someone who has a 30 percent or greater risk of dying within 1 year without a new heart. Although there is no absolute age limit, most transplants are performed on patients younger than 70 years old.

The person who provides the healthy heart (the donor) is usually someone who has been declared brain dead and is still on life-support machinery. Heart donors are usually younger than 50, have no history of heart problems, and do not have any infectious diseases.

What Is It?

A heart-lung transplant is surgery for someone with life-threatening heart and breathing problems. Surgeons remove the damaged heart and lungs and replace them with a healthy heart and lungs from a person who has died.

The person receiving the new heart and lungs (the recipient) is someone with a high chance of dying within one to two years without a transplant. The person providing the healthy heart and lungs (the donor) is someone who is brain dead, but still on life-support machinery.

A sleep shortfall can be hard on your heart. Make sure you're getting enough quality snooze time.

Maybe you stay up past midnight watching TV or checking your smartphone while lounging in bed. Or perhaps you snuggle under the covers and close your eyes at a decent hour, but then toss and turn, unable to fall asleep. Whatever the reason, the results are familiar to many people — feeling unrefreshed and maybe even a bit cranky when you wake up the next morning. According to the CDC, about one in three adults doesn't get enough sleep.

"Some people have trouble falling asleep. But others choose to stay awake and end up chronically sleep deprived," says Dr. Sogol Javaheri, a sleep specialist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. When you don't sleep enough, feeling tired and bleary-eyed is only part of the problem. People who consistently get less than six hours of sleep nightly face a higher risk of heart disease as well as other, often co-occurring conditions such as diabetes and obesity. The exact mechanisms aren't fully understood, but disruptions in blood pressure and blood sugar regulation likely play a role. Insufficient sleep also appears to raise stress hormone levels and inflammation, which also strain the heart.

Here's a host of ideas that support healthy eating and exercise habits.

This holiday season, how about giving the gift of good health? From kitchen tools to a session with a personal trainer, there are many thoughtful presents that can have a lasting impact on a person's cardiovascular health. Here are suggestions from several Harvard experts.

Kitchen tools and gadgets

"Many of my patients want to eat healthier, and one good strategy is to prepare more meals at home. Because this takes time, kitchen tools and gadgets really can be helpful," says registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. One great time-saving tool is an Instant Pot, which works as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, and steamer, she says.

These drugs are mainstays for preventing heart disease. Are they safe and effective in older people?

Low-dose aspirin and statins are both common, inexpensive drugs that help prevent the two root causes of most heart attacks — blood clots and cholesterol-laden plaque clogging the arteries of the heart. In recent years, a number of studies have helped experts refine their advice as to who should or should not take these medications.

However, evidence-based advice for people in their mid-70s and beyond is a bit harder to come by. Historically, most drug trials have included only a small proportion of people 75 and older, in part because there are fewer people in that age demographic. Also, older people tend to have other chronic health conditions. As such, they may be more prone to drug side effects, making doctors reluctant to enroll them in clinical trials.

Preparing for future medical decisions — for yourself or a loved one — can help make the experience less scary.

Have you ever sat down with a relative or close friend to talk about what would happen if either of you became unable to make your own health care decisions? Most people haven't. Only about one in three Americans has any type of legal documentation (known as an advance directive) to cover such a situation.

Imagining possible scenarios, such as experiencing a stroke or having advanced heart failure, understandably makes people uncomfortable or scared. But avoiding the topic can leave people unprepared if their health — or the health of a parent, spouse, or friend — suddenly takes a turn for the worse.