Heart scan can help some determine risk for heart disease

Heart Scan: image is animation of human heart on plain grey background.

Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m a 57-year-old man, and my doctor recently recommended I have a CT scan of my heart to look for calcium in my arteries. I’ve never had heart problems. Is this test really necessary? ANSWER: A heart scan is used to check for calcium in the lining of the […]

Life-Saving Statins

Cholesterol-lowering meds can reduce risk of heart disease Open up a magazine and you’re likely to be bombarded with information, ads and articles about statins. These medications — Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor and others — have been called the latest wonder drugs. For years they’ve been used to reduce cholesterol, and studies have pointed to statins […]

Heart disease is a woman’s disease

Woman drawing a Heartbeat Diagram with chalk on a blackboard.

Environmental Nutrition In the U.S., 1 in 4 women will die from heart disease — almost half a million deaths each year — yet the perception that heart disease is primarily a man’s disease persists. An American Heart Association survey found that fewer than one-half of American women are aware that heart disease is their […]

Mind the Gap

Transitioning to general practice

Innovative programs provide bridge between pediatric and adult care The teen years can be strewn with anxiety as kids ride the rocky road into adulthood. But teen angst takes on a new meaning when a major health issue is thrown into the mix. As kids grow into adolescents and young adults, their health needs change—especially […]

Wearable Medicine

Cardiomems pulmonary artery sensor

New devices tackle heart disease and diabetes Above photo: CardioMEMS pulmonary artery sensor. Courtesy of St. Jude Medical, Inc. A new era in medicine is emerging. Implanted body sensors can monitor critical indicators, dispense therapeutic doses of medication and alert patients and physicians to troubling changes—all in real time. This innovative technology is offering big promise in combating top causes of […]

How to improve your cholesterol levels

White plate with scrambled eggs on top, fork laid on eggs, on top of yellow placemat on wooden table

If one-third of Americans have unhealthy cholesterol levels, why did the U.S. recently change its advice to limit the cholesterol we eat daily? Well, for most of us, dietary cholesterol has almost no effect on the cholesterol that ends up in our arteries. But keeping your blood cholesterol numbers down is still key to preventing […]

Heart Monitors

Amit Patel, MD, seen through a CT scanner. Photo courtesy of University of Chicago Medicine

Area hospitals move to noninvasive tests for cardiac disease Amit Patel, MD, seen through a CT scanner. Photo courtesy of University of Chicago Medicine.   Move over stress test. The treadmill test for heart disease, though common, can be costly and time-consuming; sometimes with inaccurate results. Now, new noninvasive options for heart disease testing are […]

Many ways to lower cholesterol will reduce heart disease risk

Close up of three peach colored oval statin pills

Harvard Health Blog Several contemporary clinical trials have shown that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs reduce the risk of heart attacks in patients with coronary artery disease. This compelling body of evidence has led to the question of whether other drugs that lower cholesterol also reduce heart attacks. Older studies had certainly shown this, though these studies […]

Decoding your risk for heart disease: Geneticists can now screen for defects

Source: Cleveland Clinic whatdoctorsknow.com Pinpointing genetic causes for heart disease is a complex and dynamic process that changes rapidly as new discoveries are made. But there are some simple things you can do to get come idea about your risk for certain heart disorders. Family history While the genetics of many common cardiovascular disorders are […]