Heart Health Archives

Editor’s Note: Screening for Heart Disease

Sep 29, 2017 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

Many of my patients ask me if they should be screened for heart disease. First, knowing your risk factors for heart disease is essential. You are considered at high risk for heart disease if you have three or more of these risk factors: diabetes, smoking, hypertension, high LDL cholesterol, obesity, … Read More

Ask the Doctor: Defining Prehypertension; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; What is “Sundowning?”

Sep 28, 2017 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

Q: What is prehypertension? Does it harm the brain? A: Pre-hypertension describes blood pressure levels that are slightly higher than normal, but not yet elevated enough to indicate hypertension, or high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is generally considered to be less than 120 mmHg for the upper, or systolic, number … Read More

Ask the Doctor: Pycnogenol, New Diabetes Medications, Stroke Prevention

Sep 28, 2017 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

Q: I’ve heard that a supplement called Pycnogenol can be a natural way to manage high blood pressure. Can you tell me more about it and if it’s safe to take? A: Pycnogenol is the U.S. registered trademark for a supplement extracted from the bark of a pine tree (Pinus … Read More

Heart Failure Hospitalization Rates Decline By 30 Percent

Sep 28, 2017 · JoAnn Milivojevic · Heart Health

As a raw statistic, it seems like good news to read a headline touting that heart failure (HF) hospitalization rates have fallen by a third. And it is certainly a big step in the right direction, as it signals that efforts to prevent HF and improve outpatient treatments have found … Read More

Foods That Lower LDL Cholesterol

Sep 25, 2017 · Dawn Bialy · Heart Health

When it comes to your risk for cardiovascular disease, there are few numbers more important than your cholesterol levels. Understanding Cholesterol Your bloodstream contains two kinds of cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is considered the “bad” type because it can form waxy deposits (plaque) in your arteries. Too much plaque raises your … Read More

Keeping Your Arteries Young

Sep 22, 2017 · UHN · Heart Health

It’s common to develop significantly stiffer arteries and high blood pressure as we age past our 50s. Healthy lifestyle factors may go a long way toward slowing this process. A new study published in Hypertension suggests healthy vascular (blood vessel) aging may be possible even in people 70 years and … Read More

High Blood Pressure Harms Body and Mind

Sep 22, 2017 · Kate Brophy · Heart Health

High blood pressure (which affects about 70 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is a risk factor for more than heart disease—it also makes you vulnerable to stroke, can damage your kidneys and eyes, and raises your risk for dementia. However, high blood pressure can … Read More

Newsbriefs: Stroke Survivors; Heart Failure Risk; TAVR; Abandoned Pacemaker Leads

Sep 21, 2017 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

Stroke Survivors Without Early Complications at Long-Term Risk of Death, Stroke. People who survive a stroke or a mini-stroke without early complications have an increased risk of death, another stroke, or heart attack (myocardial infarction) for at least five years following the initial stroke, says a new study (Canadian Medical … Read More

Risks of Daily Aspirin Increase After Age 75

Sep 21, 2017 · Diane Muhlfeld · Heart Health

After a heart attack, doctors often prescribe daily aspirin to reduce the risk of having another heart attack. Many heart attacks are caused by a clot that blocks blood flow through a coronary artery. Aspirin helps prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together and forming a clot, and it’s … Read More

Ask the Doctor: Aspirin for Stroke Prevention; Hypersomnia; Bulimia in Seniors

Aug 29, 2017 · UHN Staff · Heart Health

Q: I take an 81 mg aspirin daily as a blood thinner to help prevent strokes. I heard recently that aspirin causes bleeding in the brain. Should I stop taking aspirin? A: People who regularly consume aspirin may suffer an increased risk for small microbleeds in the brain, according to research … Read More

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