Heart Health

Sometimes a carotid artery can narrow and be 'asymptomatic', meaning that the patient has no symptoms. Symptoms do vary from patient to patient. When symptoms do appear, they are usually the same symptoms as a ... continue reading  about  What are the symptoms of a narrowing carotid artery in the neck?

Hypertension or high blood pressure is defined as follows: Normal blood pressure: Pre-high blood pressure: 120-139mmHg/80-89mmHgStage 1 high blood pressure: 140-159mmHg/90-99mmHgStage 2 high blood pressure: >... continue reading  about  I have borderline high blood pressure. How much, and how quickly, does diet affect blood pressure? Would having two slices of bacon raise my blood pressure that day?

Statistics have shown that the leading causes of death among people with diabetes are heart disease and stroke. That is because people with diabetes often times have hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and they... continue reading  about  I'm a woman (51) who has diabetes. I read recently that women with diabetes have a much greater risk of developing heart disease than those who don't have it. Why is this, and what can I do to protect myself from heart problems?

A Chinese food supplement called Red Rice Yeast has been shown by reasonable scientific studies to lower cholesterol as well as bad cardiovascular events by 15-30 percent. Suggested dose is one to four of the 6... continue reading  about  I'm looking for a natural way to lower my cholesterol. Besides watching what I eat and exercising, is there anything else, like dietary supplements, that would work?

It is not uncommon to miss heart palpitations during a 24-hour ECG monitor. Palpitations can come and go, and catching them can be elusive at times. There are monitors that can be worn for seven days or longer ... continue reading  about  I have heart palpitations and have been tested with the 24-hour monitors. But of course my palpitations never seem to happen when I have the Holter monitor on. So how can my problem be diagnosed?

Great question. Here are a few additional thoughts about your particular situation: You mentioned a trip to Lake Tahoe, so keep in mind that altitude by itself, even without the cold weather, is a special consi... continue reading  about  My husband has heart disease. I heard that someone with this condition needs to be careful in the cold weather. We'll be vacationing in Lake Tahoe soon, so I'd like to know how cold weather affects the heart. Should we cancel the trip?

Typically muscle cramps that are associated with poor circulation occur only during walking. Classical symptoms of poor circulation are the calves feeling heavy and fatigued, and the person needing to stop and ... continue reading  about  What does it mean when I keep getting cramps in my toes and occasionally my calves? I have a heart condition and was wondering if the cramps could have something to do with poor circulation?

Liposuction is a great way to contour and reshape the body (including the belly) by removing unwanted fat. Unfortunately, liposuction is not a treatment for weight loss, nor does it appear to influence the risk... continue reading  about  If I get liposuction to get rid of my belly fat, will I reduce the health risks associated with being "apple" shaped?

A stroke results from lack of blood flow to the brain. This means that a region of cells is not able to work properly and can generate a variety of symptoms, depending on the brain area that has been affected. ... continue reading  about  How do I know if I have had a stroke?