Category Archives: Heart Health

Having high blood pressure – hypertension – is a dangerous condition because it increases your risk of experiencing a deadly heart-related event. A person can live with high blood pressure without experiencing symptoms until it is too late, which is what makes hypertension that much more threatening. This is why it’s so important to monitor ...click here to read more

Lacunar infarct is a type of stroke that occurs when one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain gets blocked. These arteries are quite small, which makes them vulnerable to damage. While most arteries in the body gradually become smaller, the arteries of the lacunar stroke branch off a large high-pressure artery. Lacunar stroke ...click here to read more

If you knew that by adding a few simple exercises to your daily routine would help to lower your blood pressure and risk of suffering a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke, would you do them? High blood pressure (also termed hypertension) is a chronic medical problem that increases the blood pressure in your arteries.  ...click here to read more

Low cholesterol or hypocholesterolemia is something we don’t hear a lot about. Cholesterol, of course, is that fatty substance that can clog arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke when levels are high; however, low cholesterol can also be a health hazard. When cholesterol levels are high, it can interfere with blood flow, causing ...click here to read more

Being diagnosed with high cholesterol can mean a big adjustment for a person’s life. Having to continually watch what you eat, be concerned about heart health, and to always take your medicine can be disheartening and quite annoying. Scientists from the Houston Methodist Research Institute have made a breakthrough discovery that could be the key ...click here to read more

Vascular dementia is a term used to characterize thought processes caused by some sort of brain damage. Here we look specifically at stages of vascular dementia and life expectancy of stroke dementia patients. Vascular dementia means that someone has problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, and memory related to brain damage from impaired blood flow to ...click here to read more

Beta-blockers are common medications used to treat high blood pressure and prevent heart attacks. They work by blocking the receptors that respond to adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) of the sympathetic nervous system. These receptors can be found in the cells of heart muscles, airways, kidneys, and other tissues that are part of the sympathetic ...click here to read more

Fibromuscular dysplasia is a vascular disease characterized by abnormal cell growth in the walls of medium and large arteries, leading to a beaded appearance. This can have some negative consequences, causing arteries to become narrower, reducing blood flow, and in some cases, leading to bulging blood vessels (aneurysms) or dissections (artery tears). The most common ...click here to read more

Many people assume that heart failure is a singular problem, when really, there are different types of heart failure. Here we look at heart failure types and what they mean. When we hear the term “heart failure,” it conjures up thoughts of the heart not working at all; however, heart failure really means that the ...click here to read more

Resting heart rate is a person’s heart rate when they are not performing any physical activity – they are at rest. A normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. Essentially, the lower the resting heart rate is the more efficient your heart functions. A low resting heart rate is also ...click here to read more

How does cold weather affect the heart? The winter months are often associated with snow and cold weather, but what most people don’t realize is that significant drops in temperature, commonly seen during colder months of the year, not only affects your comfort but also can affect heart health. Staying outdoors for prolonged periods without ...click here to read more

Research shows that alcohol is the most frequently consumed toxic substance, but when it is abused, it can cause a host of health problems, including alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Just what is alcoholic cardiomyopathy? Well, it is a form of heart disease that occurs due to long-term alcohol abuse. Doctors have known for a long time that ...click here to read more

We always stress how dangerous high blood pressure is, but did you know that low blood pressure is a large threat to your health too? Where high blood pressure can increase your risk of a heart-related event, low blood pressure – or hypotension – can increase your risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. Researchers found ...click here to read more

A person experiences vasoconstriction when they have constricted blood vessels. When vasoconstriction happens, blood flow is slowed or blocked. It is generally a warning of a health condition that requires serious attention. Vasoconstriction is an important process in the human body. It stops hemorrhage and retains heat. On a larger scale, it is a mechanism ...click here to read more