Recent Blog Articles

Pouring from an empty cup? Three ways to refill emotionally

Give praise to the elbow: A bending, twisting marvel

Sneezy and dopey? Seasonal allergies and your brain

The FDA relaxes restrictions on blood donation

Apps to accelerometers: Can technology improve mental health in older adults?

Swimming and skin: What to know if a child has eczema

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Natural disasters strike everywhere: Ways to help protect your health

Dementia: Coping with common, sometimes distressing behaviors

Screening tests may save lives — so when is it time to stop?
Heart Health
The heart beats about 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime, pushing millions of gallons of blood to every part of the body. This steady flow carries with it oxygen, fuel, hormones, other compounds, and a host of essential cells. It also whisks away the waste products of metabolism. When the heart stops, essential functions fail, some almost instantly.
Given the heart's never-ending workload, it's a wonder it performs so well, for so long, for so many people. But it can also fail, brought down by a poor diet and lack of exercise, smoking, infection, unlucky genes, and more.
A key problem is atherosclerosis. This is the accumulation of pockets of cholesterol-rich gunk inside the arteries. These pockets, called plaque, can limit blood flow through arteries that nourish the heart — the coronary arteries — and other arteries throughout the body. When a plaque breaks apart, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Although many people develop some form of cardiovascular disease (a catch-all term for all of the diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels) as they get older, it isn't inevitable. A healthy lifestyle, especially when started at a young age, goes a long way to preventing cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle changes and medications can nip heart-harming trends, like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, in the bud before they cause damage. And a variety of medications, operations, and devices can help support the heart if damage occurs.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!