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Heart Disease Archive

Articles

Engage your heart and brain, even when you're sitting

Sitting too much is bad for health. But there are ways to make time spent seated a little healthier. For example, people can keep their brains active by reading, writing, doing a hobby (such as knitting), or playing an instrument. And people can exercise while in a seated position. It's possible to do an aerobic workout that gets the heart and lungs pumping, such as a seated dance routine or calisthenics, as well as muscle-strengthening activities or stretching exercises.

Some heart patients need antibiotics before dental work

People with certain heart conditions, including a replaced or repaired heart valve, should take antibiotics before invasive dental procedures. This helps prevent endocarditis, a serious heart infection often caused by bacteria from the mouth.

Attention deficit disorder linked to higher heart disease risk

People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition marked by trouble focusing and impulsive behavior, may be more likely to have cardiovascular disease that people without the disorder.

Checking for heart murmurs

A heart murmur is the sound of turbulent blood flow within the heart as heard through a stethoscope. In adults, most abnormal murmurs are caused by an aortic or mitral valve that's not working correctly.

Debunking myths about heart disease

Many people have misconceptions about avoiding heart disease. One involves the use of over-the-counter fish oil capsules, which do not prevent heart disease in healthy people. Another relates to confusion about the ideal blood pressure targets in older adults. Some people are misinformed about the implications of a family history of heart disease, while others may be confused about the differences in heart attack symptoms between men and women.

Extra exercise may lead to a longer life

People who do two to four times the amount of exercise recommended by the U.S. physical activity guidelines may reduce their mortality (especially from heart disease) more than people who meet the exercise guidelines, according to a 2022 study.

Gut bacteria a likely accomplice in red meat's heart risk

Eating red meat has long been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. Breakdown products created by gut bacteria when people eat meat may contribute to this heightened risk, according to a 2022 study.

Ablation for atrial fibrillation

Catheter ablation destroys spots in the heart responsible for atrial fibrillation. Although traditionally used as a second-line treatment after medications fail, undergoing ablation earlier in the course of the disease may be a good option. The overall success rate for catheter ablation is around 75%. People sometimes undergo a second procedure if the first one isn't effective; this boosts the success rate to nearly 90%. Many factors, such as age, other health problems, and duration of afib can affect a person's outcome after catheter ablation.

The Essential 8: Enhanced advice for a healthy heart

The American Heart Association revamped its online tool, My Life Check, designed to help people prevent cardiovascular disease. Along with other changes, the AHA added healthy sleep duration to the list of seven other factors assessed by the tool. Those factors are maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, being physically active, eating a healthy diet, and keeping blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol at acceptable levels. Each factor (now known as Life's Essential 8) are scored on a scale of 1 to 100 and used to generate a composite cardiovascular health score.

You don't say? Is there anything right about being left-handed?

Left-handers make up only 10% of the population. Despite some common beliefs, science has yet to show that left-handers have any specific advantages or disadvantages over right-handed people in terms of physical abilities, cognitive health, or longevity.

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