Category Archives: Heart Health

Hospitalizations in the U.S. due to heart failure are on the rise, according to new research findings. On the other hand, the hospital visits are becoming shorter and survival rates are increasing. The study included data from over 15 million congestive heart failure hospitalizations in the U.S. between 1996 and 2009. Heart failure hospitalization numbers ...click here to read more

Coronary artery disease incidences have declined by nearly 20 percent in the U.S., according to latest research findings. Although there has been a great emphasis on lowering risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), which include blood pressure and blood lipids, the outcomes of these recommendations have been unknown. The researchers of the study pooled ...click here to read more

According to new research presented to the American Heart Association, active marijuana use has the potential to increase the risk of broken heart syndrome, which can feel like a heart attack. When relationships go sour, people joke that they have a broken heart, but broken heart syndrome is real. Also referred to as stress-induced cardiomyopathy ...click here to read more

Fatty liver disease and heart disease have been found to have a bi-directional association. The researchers found that not only can fatty liver disease increase the risk of heart disease, but the association works the other way around, too, meaning, heart disease can increase the risk of fatty liver. Fatty liver disease cases are on ...click here to read more

Stroke can be treated if detected and addressed quickly. But how would you know if you or a loved one is having a brain attack? Research shows that close to 800,000 Americans have a stroke every year. About 140,000 die from it. It’s estimated that one out of every 20 deaths in the United States ...click here to read more

Most of us like a drink (or two) every now and then. And, let’s face it, everywhere we go, alcohol and alcohol consumption are part and parcel of our culture. The risks of alcohol consumption and, more specifically, over-consumption have been documented in many medical studies. And the tragic statistics involved with driving while intoxicated ...click here to read more

When it comes to improving heart health, you know the rules: Eat well, exercise, don’t smoke, and maybe enjoy an occasional glass of red wine. While the benefits of the above are undeniable, you can always do more for the benefit of your health – sometimes taking a road less travelled. If you are looking ...click here to read more

Chest pain can have a variety of causes, some more serious than others. Hence, it’s important to spot accompanying symptoms so you can narrow in on your cause and reduce the risk of complications. Chest pains are often associated with the heart issues, but they also can be a sign of lung, gastrointestinal, bone, muscle, ...click here to read more

Heart disease risk is lowered by eating almonds to keep blood vessels healthy. In the study, the control group participants ate their normal diet, while the other group consumed 50 grams of almonds a day for a month. After the end of the study period, the almond-enriched diet group had higher levels of antioxidants, along ...click here to read more

Heart disease risk is lowered with unsaturated fats and high-quality carbohydrates. The study found that replacing saturated fats with high-quality carbs had the biggest impact on reducing heart disease risk. No benefit was observed when the researchers replaced saturated fats with highly processed food. Study author and professor of nutrition Frank B. Hu explained, “Many ...click here to read more

Heart disease and diabetes risk may be reduced by eating chocolate every day. The key here is to consume a small piece of dark chocolate, of course. Based on the analysis of data from 1,153 people, the researchers found that 100 grams of dark chocolate was enough to reduce insulin resistance and improve liver enzymes. ...click here to read more

Cholesterol levels and heart disease risk may be lowered by eating oats. In a review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, the researchers concluded that oat fiber can reduce LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B (apoB), which are all markers of cardiovascular disease risk. Oats are a great source of soluble fiber which is ...click here to read more

Taking high-dose statins – cholesterol-lowering drugs – slightly improves survival rates for certain patients. The study followed over 509,000 patients with various forms of cardiovascular disease. The researchers found that survival rates increased by nine percent with high-dose statins, compared to moderate-dose statins, over the course of a year. The participants in the study were ...click here to read more

Red wine may help lower high blood pressure and protect against heart disease in people who exercise. But there’s a catch: The participants in the study were drinking non-alcoholic red wine. The non-alcoholic red wine was shown to improve nitric oxide levels in the men, helping lower blood pressure. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to ...click here to read more