Recent Blog Articles

Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health

PTSD: How is treatment changing?

Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you

How healthy is sugar alcohol?

A bird flu primer: What to know and do

New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy

Dupuytren's contracture of the hand

Why play? Early games build bonds and brain

Moving from couch to 5K

How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

Stroke Archive

Heart Health

How stimulants may affect your heart

Published February 1, 2022

Stimulant medications, which are usually prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder in children, are being prescribed increasingly to older adults. These drugs may cause a short-term spike in the risk of heart-related problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias. Dietary supplements that promise weight loss or better physical or mental performance may contain prohibited, unlisted, and potentially dangerous stimulants.

Heart Health

Is there such a thing as a silent stroke?

Published January 1, 2022

It is possible to experience a stroke without symptoms. Addressing cardiovascular risk factors can help lower the risk.

Exercise & Fitness

Exercise may heal the heart as well as prevent future problems

Published January 1, 2022

Exercise may help to reverse some types of heart damage. Not only can workouts prevent heart problems, but it may help to improve conditions that may raise risk for cardiovascular events. A 2021 study, for example, showed that a yearlong exercise program helped improve heart health in people who were at increased risk for heart failure.

Heart Health

Gum disease and heart health: Probing the link

Published January 1, 2022

About two-thirds of people over 65 have periodontal disease, which is linked to a higher risk of heart disease. Shared risk factors such as smoking and an unhealthy diet may explain the association, but bacteria and inflammation could be a common thread. The bacteria responsible for periodontal disease can travel to blood vessels throughout the body and have been found in the fatty debris (atherosclerosis) that clogs arteries located far from the mouth—and in blood clots from people who have experienced heart attacks.

Heart Health

What’s the best blood pressure target for older adults?

Published January 1, 2022

For people over 60, aiming for a blood pressure target below 130/80 mm Hg may prevent more cardiovascular problems than aiming for the higher target suggested by some physicians. Some feared that the more intensive treatment required to reach the lower target might cause more adverse side effects (such as dizziness and falls) in older people. But side effects do not appear to differ among people taking intensive versus standard therapy.

Heart Health

Salt substitute associated with lower rates of stroke, death

Published January 1, 2022

A large study published online Aug. 29, 2021, by The New England Journal of Medicine found that people who used a salt substitute on their food had a lower risk of stroke, heart attack, and early death, compared with people who used regular salt.

Nutrition

Saturated fat and low-carb diets: Still more to learn?

Published December 9, 2021

Low-carbohydrate diets have been popular for many years, but due to the high amounts of saturated fat, doctors and nutritionists worry about possible increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A study comparing three diets found that eating a high-fat diet did not necessarily raise heart risk, but the types and quantities of food make a difference.

Heart Health

Switching to a salt substitute may reduce stroke risk

Published December 1, 2021

Swapping regular table salt (sodium chloride) with a salt substitute containing some potassium chloride may lower the risk of strokes and related heart problems.

Heart Health

COVID-19 diagnosis raises risk of heart attack, stroke

Published November 1, 2021

A Swedish study suggests that risk of a heart attack or stroke at least triples in the week following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Nutrition

Is extra-virgin olive oil extra healthy?

Published November 1, 2021

Studies have shown a link between lower risks of cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and even dementia in people who consume higher amounts of olive oil. However, no definitive studies show extra-virgin olive oil has greater benefits than regular olive oil.

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Recent Blog Articles

Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health

PTSD: How is treatment changing?

Virtual mental health care visits: Making them work for you

How healthy is sugar alcohol?

A bird flu primer: What to know and do

New urine test may help some men with elevated PSA avoid biopsy

Dupuytren's contracture of the hand

Why play? Early games build bonds and brain

Moving from couch to 5K

How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

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