Heart Health Archives

Study: Too Much Sitting May Put Your Cardiovascular Health at Risk

Jan 24, 2025 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

If you spend a good portion of your waking hours sitting, whether at a desk at work or in your favorite comfy chair, you may be hurting your physical and mental health more than you realize. This is true even if you spend an hour or two exercising daily. A … Read More

Sex Differences in Heart Disease

Jan 24, 2025 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

Biological, hormonal, and physiological differences contribute to how heart disease presents, progresses, and responds to treatment in men and women. Symptoms can vary by sex, too. Knowing these distinctions can improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, particularly as we get older, when heart disease risk increases. The Role of Age and … Read More

Tai Chi Lowers Blood Pressure More Than Aerobics

Jan 24, 2025 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

A study published in JAMA Network Open found that tai chi may be more effective at reducing blood pressure than traditional aerobic exercises like jogging or brisk walking. This study, conducted in China, followed 342 participants with prehypertension—elevated blood pressure but not yet classified as hypertension. Participants were split into … Read More

Annual Exams

Jan 24, 2025 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

Q: Do I really need an annual exam? I see my doctor for various issues throughout the year anyway. A: An annual exam is essential for adults ages 65 and older, even if they see their doctor for other issues throughout the year. This comprehensive check-up goes beyond addressing specific … Read More

Modifiable Stroke Risk Factors Should be Addressed

Jan 24, 2025 · Judith C. Thalhaimer, RD, LDN · Heart Health

Stroke is a leading preventable cause of disability and death. While one might make a full or near-total recovery from a mild stroke, a severe stroke can lead to permanent disability or death. In between these outcomes is a wide spectrum of disability. INTERSTROKE is an international case-control study of … Read More

The Great Egg Flip Flop

Jan 24, 2025 · Judith C. Thalhaimer, RD, LDN · Heart Health

Q: We were told to avoid eggs for so many years. Why am I now seeing them recommended? A: Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, Stanley N. Gershoff professor of nutrition, lead scientist of the Diet & Chronic Disease Prevention directive, and editor-in-chief of this newsletter, answers. “Eggs are nutritious, affordable, and … Read More

Mind Your Heart

Jan 24, 2025 · Judith C. Thalhaimer, RD, LDN · Heart Health

This Valentine’s Day, savor a bite of good chocolate, linger over a meal with a loved one, close your eyes and breathe in the scent of those flowers, or focus on the beauty of your surroundings as you take a peaceful nature walk. These activities are examples of ways you … Read More

A Healthy Heart Can Benefit Brainpower

Jan 24, 2025 · Kate Brophy · Heart Health

Two recent studies add to evidence that following Life’s Essential 8™ (LE8)—a cardiovascular health metric developed by the American Heart Association (AHA)—benefits cognition. LE8 comprises eight healthy lifestyle components: diet, physical activity, smoking habits, body mass index (BMI, a relation of height to weight), cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (defined as … Read More

Cardiac Imaging Scans After Cancer

Jan 24, 2025 · Kate Brophy · Heart Health

Q: I recently received a mailing that advertised affordable cardiac imaging at a location near my home. I’m interested, but as a cancer survivor who previously had radiation treatment, is it safe for me to undergo imaging tests? A: Imaging scans can be invaluable tools for accurately diagnosing health conditions … Read More

Can Adding Sterols to Statins Lower Cholesterol Even More?

Jan 24, 2025 · Denise Webb · Heart Health

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, when plaque builds up in artery walls, is the leading cause of death in the United States. Arterial plaque is made up of, among other things, cholesterol, calcium, cellular waste, fats, and fibrin, a blood-clotting substance. Statins, such as Crestor® and Lipitor®, the drugs of choice for … Read More

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