Statistically, more people experience a heart attack during the holidays. However, most cardiologists would agree the holidays don’t cause heart attacks. “Stretching from Thanksgiving to Christmas and even into the new year, there is about a 5% increase in heart attacks or emergency room visits due to heart-related concerns,” said Abdolreza Agahtehrani, M.D. , cardiologist…
When blood flow is partially blocked through one or more arteries to the heart, the heart muscle is damaged. This is a heart attack. But when the flow is blocked completely, damage happens much faster, and the condition is far more dangerous. The chances of recovery — and survival — lessen with every minute. This…
Heart failure and exercise: Strengthening your heart and safely combating heart failure Heart failure is a condition that means your heart can’t pump blood as well as it should. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 6.2 million American adults have heart failure. Heart failure was mentioned on the death certificates…
If you are diagnosed with heart failure, your prognosis depends on many factors, including age, stage of heart failure, underlying conditions and strength of heart function. There are three types of heart failure, and the prognosis for all is similar. The good new is you can recover from heart failure. Heart failure does not mean…
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute on the Norton Audubon Hospital campus now has new space that will bring together seven specialty services in one location. This includes the addition of electrophysiology (a test performed to assess the heart’s electrical activity for abnormal heartbeats). Norton Healthcare has invested $10 million to make this new outpatient cardiovascular…
Early signs of a heart attack, or “beginnings,” occur in more than 50% of people who have a heart attack. If recognized in time, these early symptoms can be treated before the heart is damaged. “If you have early warning signs of a heart attack, don’t dismiss it — it’s a chance for you to…
You may know blood pressure and cholesterol play a role in conditions like diabetes and heart disease, among others. But do you know how triglycerides fit in and whether you should have high triglycerides or low triglyceride levels? What are triglycerides? When you eat, your body turns excess calories, alcohol or sugar into triglycerides and…
Being a little short of breath is normal during pregnancy, especially in the later months. As the body prepares for baby, hormonal shifts, crowded organs and anemia all can contribute to this breathlessness. However, there are some conditions you should be aware of during pregnancy. Here are some more facts to consider: Heart disease (also…
Most people are familiar with the typical way someone shows they are having a heart attack: gasping, clutching their chest and so on. Despite what’s depicted in movies and TV, sometimes chest pain is just chest pain. And sometimes a heart attack has very subtle symptoms. Here are five ways to tell the difference. Millions…
It’s not every day that your doctor calls you a textbook example. But that’s what Pastor F. Bruce Williams’ cardiologist called him. Pastor Williams is an example for other African American men. He knows that his race puts him at increased risk for various health conditions, so he takes a proactive approach to his health….
The risks of high blood pressure while pregnant have prompted a panel of medical experts to recommend all pregnant people get blood pressure screenings at every prenatal visit. The draft recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel that makes evidence-based recommendations about ways to prevent disease, advises that all pregnant people,…
Bob Wilson was busy as could be. He was working a full-time job in management, traveling with his life partner, Lucy, and active in adult sports leagues including a travel softball team, golf and bowling. At 64 years old in 2021, he was experiencing some mild chest discomfort every so often and some tiredness, but…
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