Category Archives: Heart Health

A recent study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience has found that voluntary physical exercise has a positive effect on stroke recovery. Physical exercise is already known to play a role in delaying memory loss and improving cognitive ability in older individuals. The study was conducted by Dr. Evgenia Kalogeraki at Georg-August University, Germany, and ...click here to read more

Stroke survivors may be able to improve their walking recovery with the use of sensory devices that are currently being developed by researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University, in conjunction with technology firm Lucid Innovation. These devices will be worn by stroke survivors to aid in walking therapy by sensing stride patterns and symmetry. The devices ...click here to read more

Recovery after heart surgery improves with psychological support, according to a recent study published in BMC Medicine. Professor Winifred Rief of the University of Marburg, Germany, conducted the study utilizing the placebo effect. He offered different levels of psychological support to three different groups, all undergoing cardiac surgery. Patients were all addressed pre-surgery—one group was ...click here to read more

High stress activity in the brain may indicate a future risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new research. Ahmed Tawakol of Massachusetts General Hospital coauthored the recent study, which found that those with a higher level of activity in the stress center of the brain showed evidence of arterial inflammation—a leading cause of ...click here to read more

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation in dialysis patients is higher than previously thought, researchers say. The most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (afib) is a major risk factor for strokes. Atrial fibrillation causes an irregular, sometimes faster heartbeat that prevents the heart from working efficiently and increases the risk of stroke. In an ...click here to read more

Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) rate is rising globally, along with associated deaths, according to research findings. The analysis involving 8.7 million participants found substantial increases in elevated systolic blood pressure between 1990 and 2015. Systolic blood pressure of at least 110 mm Hg has been associated with a number of cardiovascular and kidney disease ...click here to read more

Over 400,000 American women suffer from stroke every year. Some people may be surprised to hear that this number is about 55,000 more than men. Recent surveys suggest that a significant number of women don’t know the primary symptoms of stroke or the fact that stroke prevention is not “one-size-fits-all.” Medical advances over the last ...click here to read more

Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition, but it affects other areas of health as well. For example, it could contribute to the risk of dementia, poor sleep, kidney failure, and high blood pressure. The articles below discuss different aspect of atrial fibrillation, revealing useful tactics to better manage it and reduce your risk of other ...click here to read more

Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the arteries become hardened and narrow due to excess plaque buildup. When this occurs, blood flow becomes disrupted, which can lead to heart complications and poor overall health as other parts of the body require a blood supply to function properly. Cardiovascular disease is one of the possible consequences ...click here to read more

Engaging in physical activities on the weekend can help reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Research has shown that being physically active even once or twice a week results in a lower mortality risk. This association is true even for people who do not meet the recommended exercise levels. Yet, ...click here to read more

If you’ve ever measured your own blood pressure or had it measured for you then you are familiar with the two numbers that appear. These numbers indicate your systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings and offer an insight into your heart health. Diastolic reading is the bottom number. It is always lower and tells us ...click here to read more

Blood pressure difference between arms may be a sign of increased cardiovascular disease. If you check your blood pressure using the same arm, you may not be getting a clear picture of your health. Research has found that blood pressure differences between arms could be due to narrowing of an artery in one of the ...click here to read more

Stroke recovery can be improved with a new treatment that creates new nerve synapses – essential for learning – in the brain. Researcher Marcela Pekna explained, “More nerve sprouts and connections between nerve cells are created so that the remaining cells can take over functions that the dead cells once had.” The researchers focused on ...click here to read more

Although it may not be a common term, silent stroke is a leading cause of vascular dementia that impacts about one-third of those over the age of 70. A better understanding of silent stroke can help many people reduce the risk of memory problems associated with vascular dementia. During a typical stroke, a clot blocks ...click here to read more