When we hear the word 'atherosclerosis,' the buildup of plaques in the arteries, we usually think about the heart or the brain. After all, plaques in the arteries of these organs hinder blood flow and can trigger a heart attack or stroke. But when atherosclerosis is present in these parts of the vascular system, chances are it's lurking throughout, including the peripheral arteries that supply blood to the legs. In this article, Johns Hopkins' cardiologists… More...
Studies show that people whose LDL cholesterol is made up of predominantly small, dense particles have a threefold greater risk of coronary heart disease. And now there are tests to measure LDL particle size. Should you talk with your cardiologist about these tests?
You probably know by now that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the 'bad' kind that causes heart attacks. But did you realize that LDL particles come in all shapes and sizes? Scientists have… More...
In 1999 the American Heart Association (AHA) reacted to the mountain of research showing that cardiovascular disease may affect women somewhat differently than men by publishing the first Evidence-based Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women. Since then, the guidelines have helped physicians establish preventive strategies for their female patients. The recently updated 2007 heart health guidelines include some new information that you may want to discuss with your doctor. More...
Bruce Perler, M.D., Director, Division of Vascular Surgery at Johns Hopkins discusses risks and benefits of carotid endarterectomy versus carotid stenting.
Carotid artery stenosis is marked by the buildup of fatty deposits in two large arteries, the carotids, that run up either side of the neck and carry blood to the brain. A significant blockage in the carotid arteries could eventually choke off the brain’s blood supply and trigger a stroke. You may have been diagnosed… More...
Lifestyle measures are typically considered the first step and the cornerstone for preventing heart attacks—and they may be all that are needed. But if they fail to adequately control cholesterol levels and high blood pressure (usually within three to nine months), medication is often recommended in addition to lifestyle changes. More...
Consuming one or two alcoholic drinks a day is associated with a reduced heart attack risk. Alcohol may lower the chance of a heart attack through many mechanisms. Most important is its effects on HDL (or “good”) cholesterol. Moderate drinking increases HDL by about 12%. More...
The pain of angina, usually experienced in the chest, is caused by a shortage of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle due to partial blockage of a coronary artery. The two goals in treating angina symptoms are to decrease the heart’s demand for oxygen and to increase its blood supply. More...
Exercise can be a frightening proposition in the aftermath of a heart attack. Many survivors worry that stressing the heart—a muscle that has already been injured by the heart attack—will trigger a second episode. As little as a decade ago, doctors shared these fears and counseled their heart attack patients to avoid exercise. More...
With regard to their hearts, men and women are similar in one important way: For both, heart disease is the No. 1 killer. In fact, heart disease claims approximately 500,000 women’s lives a year in the United States—nearly one death every minute.
Most heart attacks and heart-related deaths occur in women over age 65, but each year more than 9,000 women under age 45 suffer a heart attack. Women who survive the
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A high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol is an important risk factor for a heart attack. Yet about half of the people who develop coronary heart disease have normal or even low LDL cholesterol levels. Some research suggests that a component of LDL—called apolipoprotein B, or apo B—may be more accurate at predicting coronary heart disease. More...
The first few minutes a patient with chest pain spends in the emergency department are critical because prompt diagnosis and treatment can limit or even prevent heart damage. However, diagnosis is not always easy, especially for people with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS)—a term that includes both unstable angina and a type of heart attack marked by the absence of ST-segment elevation on an electrocardiogram (ECG). More...
Some risk factors for heart attack cannot be changed. These include age (coronary heart disease increases with age, especially in men age 45 and older and women age 55 and older); gender (before age 50, heart disease is far more common in men than women—though after menopause, women’s risk increases); and heredity (you are at increased risk of a heart attack if you have a father or brothers who experienced a heart attack before age 55 or a mother or sisters who had a heart attack before age 65. More...
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