Heart Health Archives

Study: Flaxseed Helps Hypertension

May 14, 2018 · Susan Jimison Vitek · Heart Health

Sprinkling a little ground flaxseed on your cereal every day may help protect you against high blood pressure that could lead to a brain-damaging stroke, according to recent research. This finding adds to a number of other brain benefits ascribed to the tiny golden seed. In a study designed to … Read More

Mechanical Devices Dramatically Improve Stroke Treatment

May 14, 2018 · Susan Jimison Vitek · Heart Health

Two innovative mechanical devices make it possible to remove clots from cerebral blood vessels long after the window for using clot-busting drugs closes, greatly improving the treatment options for the estimated 637,000 Americans who suffer ischemic strokes each year. These flexible wire and mesh instruments, which represent a significant improvement … Read More

Medications and Lifestyle Strategies to Lower Your LDL Cholesterol

Apr 30, 2018 · Dawn Bialy · Heart Health

Chances are, you know someone who is taking a statin medication—or you may be taking one yourself. Why are so many people taking statins? Because they are very effective at cutting your cardiovascular risks by lowering LDL cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, which … Read More

If You Suspect a Heart Attack, Call 911 Immediately

Apr 30, 2018 · JoAnn Milivojevic · Heart Health

A heart attack (myocardial infarction, or MI) happens when an artery is blocked or when blood flow is severely restricted and can’t reach the heart. When the area of the heart that relies on that oxygen-rich blood is deprived, all or part of it can die. Receiving timely medical attention can … Read More

Are There ‘Natural’ Remedies for High Cholesterol?

Apr 24, 2018 · Daniel Pendick · Heart Health

If you Google “natural remedies for high cholesterol” you will get millions of hits. As you scroll through them, you’ll see that what “natural” means is in the eye of the beholder. For many people, natural means dietary supplements or “superfoods” thought to have special cholesterol-fighting properties. But in the … Read More

Newsbriefs: Heart Rate; Erectile Dysfunction; Medicare

Apr 23, 2018 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

Changes in Heart Rate May Reflect Changes in Heart Disease Risk. How fast your heart beats when you are relaxed, and how this rate changes over time, may reveal your risk of a cardiovascular event. Researchers reviewed the heart rates of participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and … Read More

Afib After Coronary Bypass Surgery Is More Serious than Previously Thought

Apr 23, 2018 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) can trigger the development of atrial fibrillation (afib) in patients who have never had the arrhythmia before, as cardiovascular specialists have long known. It happens to nearly 20 percent of patients following CABG. However, the implications of this development were unknown—it was thought to be … Read More

News Briefs: Stroke Risk Factors; Shingles Vaccine Recommendations; DASH Diet

Mar 27, 2018 · UHN · Heart Health

Risk Factors for Stroke on the Rise Researchers have found a significant increase in the percentage of people with stroke who have high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and other risk factors for stroke. According to study author Fadar Oliver Otite, MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, an estimated … Read More

Effects of Marijuana on the Heart Remain Uncertain

Mar 22, 2018 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

The gradual legalization of marijuana for recreational use has baby boomers rejoicing. Many have “smoked pot” since the 60s and argue there’s no logical reason for its status as an illegal drug. But in reality, do we know how safe marijuana is? Recent research suggests we do not. A 2017 … Read More

New Test Proves Highly Accurate in Identifying Heart Attack

Feb 27, 2018 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

A new type of blood test has been found to safely and quickly rule out heart attack, as well as identify patients who are at low risk of suffering a heart attack in the near future. In an observational study of patients with suspected heart attack admitted to the emergency … Read More

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