6 Signs of Chronic Inflammation You Shouldn’t Ignore

Cleveland HeartLab diet, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, lifestyle habits

You may have heard about inflammation from your doctor or read about it on the Internet. There are 2 kinds: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is part of the normal healing process. It causes the redness, warmth, swelling, and pain you feel when you cut yourself or get a splinter. But when inflammation sticks around for a while, it can …

Should You Take Aspirin for Your Heart?

Cleveland HeartLab Aspirin Therapy, diet, exercise, heart attack and stroke

The risks might be greater than the benefits. But talk to your doctor before you make a change.  Many people take a low-dose aspirin (75-100 mg) every day to protect their heart. But new guidelines may be changing this common practice. The US Preventive Service Task Force makes recommendations to doctors for patient care. Recently it warned that aspirin may …

What to Know About the Link Between Cancer and Heart Disease

Cleveland HeartLab cancer, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, lifestyle habits

When you are diagnosed with cancer, heart disease is the last thing on your mind. But there’s a growing awareness of a link between cancer and heart problems. Recent research in Nature Communications that looked at more than 7 million cancer survivors showed that the risk of death from heart disease among cancer patients is 2 times greater than that …

How the Road to Menopause Affects Your Heart

Cleveland HeartLab heart attack and stroke, inflammation, lifestyle habits, women's health

If you’re getting close to menopause, you’re probably not looking forward to annoying symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. But you may not realize that there’s a bigger health concern: a higher risk for heart disease. Doctors have known for a while that the risk for heart attacks and strokes in women after menopause is greater than for women …

“How Sweet It Is”: Does It Matter to Your Heart this Holiday Season?

Cleveland HeartLab diet, heart attack and stroke

You may know that drinking sugar-sweetened drinks isn’t the wisest health move. Sodas, coffee or tea with sugar, lemonade, sports drinks, and fruit punch aren’t just bad for your waistline. Consuming a lot of these beverages increases your risk for heart attacks and stroke. But you might be surprised to know that diet drinks—those that contain artificial sweeteners—aren’t much better …

Heart Risks and Pregnancy

Cleveland HeartLab blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke, women's health

More and more, researchers are finding that pregnancy health and related factors in young women are connected to the future heart health of older women.  The latest review of 32 studies is the most powerful evidence yet. It is called an “umbrella study,” because it combines the results of many other review studies. Umbrella studies are considered among the highest …

How COVID-19 Can Harm Your Heart Even When You’re Not Infected

Cleveland HeartLab COVID-19, heart attack and stroke

The COVID-19 isn’t just harming those who get this dangerous infection; even those who don’t get infected may still be getting sick because of it. The latest research suggests that deadly heart attacks are one of the health risks affected by the pandemic. In a new study from JAMA Cardiology, researchers looked at more than 14,700 patients in several states …

COVID-19 and Your Heart

Cleveland HeartLab blood pressure, COVID-19, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, lifestyle habits

Since COVID-19 started spreading around the world earlier this year, doctors have realized that it is especially dangerous for people with heart problems and risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure. COVID-19 mostly affects the lungs, but when the lungs don’t work well, it puts a strain on the heart.  If you already have a heart condition, high …

The Unexpected Heart Benefit of Getting the Shingles Shot

Cleveland HeartLab heart attack and stroke, inflammation, Stroke

You probably know a few ways to prevent problems like strokes and heart attacks. These include things like eating a heart-friendly diet, walking or being physically active regularly, and not smoking. Now there’s a surprising new way to avoid heart attacks and strokes—the shingles vaccine. Shingles results from the same virus (herpes zoster) that gave you chicken pox as a …

A Heart Month Special Report: The Surprising Facts About Women in Your Life and Heart Disease

CHL Marketing blood pressure, exercise, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, Stroke, women's health

Heart disease is the top killer of men and women, but it affects men and women differently. It’s important to understand the differences to protect the hearts and lives of women and help them get the best care. For Heart Month, we look at some of the differences between men and women. In the past, experts used to think women’s …

Say Yes to Fish Oil!

Cleveland Heartlab cholesterol, diabetes, diet, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, Stroke, vitamins and supplements, women's health

Confused if you should be taking a fish oil supplement? That’s not surprising. Sometimes headlines say the omega-3 fatty acids in them can lower heart risks. Others say the opposite. But the data in favor of fish oil has been growing. Two recent studies show a strong benefit – especially if you don’t like or can’t eat fish itself. The …

The Not-So-Sweet Link Between Sugar and Heart Disease

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, diabetes, diet, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, Stroke, women's health

To keep your heart healthy, you’ve probably heard it’s good to eat only small amounts of saturated fats like butter and full-fat dairy as well as carbs like white bread and starchy vegetables. But one food ingredient doesn’t get enough attention when it comes to heart health: sugar. More and more research shows that the sweet stuff can be rough …

The Heart Benefits of Seeking Green

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, diet, exercise, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, Stroke, women's health

Everyone knows a walk in the park or the woods is good for the soul. But did you know it might also be good for your heart? More and more research shows that spending time in green spaces boosts heart health. In a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2018, researchers found that people who lived …

Can Positive Thinking Prevent a Heart Attack?

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, Stroke

You probably know that diet and exercise are important for your heart health. But did you know that the way you think about life also makes a difference? It’s true. A growing number of studies show that people who are optimistic (think in positive, hopeful ways, such as seeing a glass half full instead of half empty) have better heart …

Antibiotics and Heart Risk

Cleveland Heartlab diet, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, TMAO, vitamins and supplements, women's health

Can Antibiotics Increase Your Heart Attack Risk? You may have heard that taking too many antibiotics can make them less helpful. This happens because bacteria become resistant to these medications over time. Sometimes, antibiotics may not work at all when you really need them and this can be quite dangerous. But there’s a new reason to be careful about taking …

The Surprising Link Between Depression and Heart Disease

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, cholesterol, diet, exercise, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, lifestyle habits

You might have heard that people who are depressed are more likely to have heart disease. People who have heart disease are also more likely to get the blues. Having both heart disease and depression is worse for your health than just having heart disease. A 2017 study found that people diagnosed with depression after they’d had a heart attack …

Young women, heart attacks and how to prevent them

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, diet, exercise, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, Stroke, women's health

Here’s some good news about heart disease, the number one killer of Americans:  the rate of heart attacks and strokes is dropping and has been for decades. That means you are less likely to develop these problems than in the past. But there’s bad news, too: heart attacks are striking more young people, particularly younger women. New research shows that …

Top Herbs for Your Heart

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, diet, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, Stroke, women's health

A healthy diet is the first step toward a healthier heart. Eating lots of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, healthy fats like olive oil, and lean protein like fish and chicken, can’t be beat for preventing heart attacks and strokes.   But how you prepare these foods also makes a big difference. A variety of herbs have been shown to give …

You Probably Don’t Get Enough of this Hidden Heart Helper

Cleveland Heartlab cholesterol, diet, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, lifestyle habits, Stroke

Heart-healthy diets include plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread and pasta. One thing these foods have in common is fiber. Fiber is good for your body in many ways and especially good for your heart. The results of a large review study just released by the World Health Organization (WHO) are …

Can Energy Drinks Harm Your Heart?

Cleveland Heartlab diet, exercise, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, vitamins and supplements

Energy drinks are popular with people who want a power boost, including children and athletes. But these drinks, which contain caffeine, sugar, herbs, and other ingredients, may do more harm than good. A recent study from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston found that having just one energy drink had a bad effect on the flow of …

Simple Ways to Get Tough and Prevent Heart Disease and Early Death

Cleveland Heartlab Aspirin Therapy, blood pressure, heart attack and stroke

For many years, the number of people dying from heart disease has decreased. But now that trend is starting to slow down. In 2016, more than 415,000 people died from a heart problem that could have been prevented. This unexpected number comes from a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The organization is trying to …

The Heart Risk of Vaping

Cleveland Heartlab heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits

Smokers sometimes turn to e-cigarettes to try to quit smoking. But according to new research from Boston University School of Medicine, they may be trading one health harm for another. The study looked at the effects of nine flavorings common in e-cigarettes and other tobacco products on a type of cell that lines the walls of blood vessels, including the …

New Heart Benefits of Vitamin D

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Vitamin D plays many important roles in the body—from strengthening your bones to boosting your immune system to help keep you healthy. Research also shows it keeps your heart and blood vessels in good working condition. Here are a few of the ways the so-called “sunshine vitamin” keeps the heart strong and healthy: Preventing stroke A new report from Italy …