Category Archives: Heart Health

Has this ever happened to you: you’re sitting for a prolonged period of time and the moment you get up, you have to sit back down because you are hit with dizziness? Or maybe you woke up and experienced intense dizziness to the point of near fainting when you tried to get out of bed. ...click here to read more

Heart failure refers to a condition where the heart is unable to pump sufficiently to maintain blood flow to meet the body’s needs. The number of people diagnosed with this condition is expected to increase by 46 percent by 2030, resulting in more than eight million people with heart failure, according to the American Heart ...click here to read more

Cholesterol is an essential substance needed by our bodies. However, elevated levels of the can lead to several negative consequences to our health. It is estimated that about 78 million Americans have cholesterol levels that fall in the range where experts recommended cholesterol-lowering medication. To better drive home the importance of high cholesterol control we ...click here to read more

Widened pulse pressure may increase the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. Pulse pressure is the difference between your two blood pressure readings – systolic and diastolic. Systolic pressure, the top number, is the pressure with which your blood is forced from the heart to reach other organs. Diastolic pressure, the bottom number, is ...click here to read more

Suffering a stroke can have devastating ramifications, possibly leading to paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, difficulties speaking, and trouble walking. All these are very likely if you are lucky enough to survive, as strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes are the leading cause of serious, long-term ...click here to read more

Left atrial enlargement refers the enlargement of the left atrium and can be the result of many conditions, either congenital or acquired. The left atrium is situated in a way where it receives oxygenated blood sent from the lungs to be pumped into the left ventricle, passing the mitral valve, which is then pumped through ...click here to read more

If you regularly monitor your blood pressure, you may have noticed more spikes. You may be puzzled by this because you are adhering to a healthy lifestyle and taking your medication regularly, but there is another reason why your blood pressure isn’t being well controlled as of late. It’s because it’s winter. You see, then ...click here to read more

High blood pressure or hypertension is a long-term condition in which the blood pressure within the arteries is persistently elevated. Blood pressure is expressed by two measurements, the systolic and diastolic measurements represented by the top number and bottom number received when measuring blood pressure, respectively. These numbers are measured according to the actions of ...click here to read more

Esophageal varices are enlarged or swollen blood vessels in the throat and are a manifestation of abnormal blood flow to the liver. Esophageal varices are commonly found in patients with chronic liver disease (liver cirrhosis). Blood flow obstruction causes the blood vessels in the esophagus to dilate due to increased back pressure. The most problematic ...click here to read more

When it comes to our health, there are also numbers we must closely pay attention to, and one in particular we must keep a sharper eye on. We’re talking about blood pressure numbers; understanding your blood pressure reading can be the difference between life and death. You see, the numbers that show when we take ...click here to read more

Although any season brings with it new challenges and dangers to your health, the wintertime, in particular, is a far more dangerous time of the year when it comes to your heart health. If you already suffer from heart problems, or you have heart-related risk factors, then you need to take extra care during the ...click here to read more

What is aortic regurgitation? Aortic regurgitation (AR), also known as aortic valve regurgitation, occurs when the heart’s aortic valve does not properly close. When the valve doesn’t close tightly, some of the blood that was pumped out of the heart’s main chamber (left ventricle, or LV) can leak back into it. Since the heart is ...click here to read more

Lowering your cholesterol levels is an integral part of overall heart health. Diet can go a long way in improving your cholesterol numbers, but many of us are unclear as to what foods to consume and which to avoid. A general rule is to avoid foods high in saturated fat, processed foods, and fatty foods, ...click here to read more

You may notice that your heart races at night or you experience more frequent heart palpitations. For some, this may actually be an all-day occurrence which is overlooked because you are just too busy during the day to notice. But by the time you relax at night, these symptoms become more apparent. Other people may ...click here to read more