Though it sounds like a condition in which the heart stops beating altogether, heart failure is actually a problem that develops when the heart can no longer pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the body’s needs. It’s a serious and complicated health challenge. But if you and your physician … Read More
Muscle spasms happen due to the sudden contraction of a muscle: The affected muscle pulls tight and may also feel harder than usual. Muscle spasms can range from minor (for example, the leg or foot cramps you might experience at night sometimes) to more serious (lower back muscle spasms that … Read More
With the advent of beta blockers, and compelling evidence of their effectiveness, recommendations for heart failure treatment have changed. In general, patients are now treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), plus a diuretic and a beta blocker, to which an aldosterone antagonist or digoxin … Read More
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the U.S., and claims the lives of almost 400,000 Americans each year. CAD develops when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked by a buildup of plaque: a waxy deposit made up … Read More
Two complementary systems are used to classify heart failure stages. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification divides patients into groups according to impairment in ability to carry out physical activity. It is a subjective assessment made by the physician, and it represents a patient’s condition at the time of … Read More
You may know cardiomyopathy as a type of heart disease, but it’s actually more than that. Cardiomyopathy is really a group of diseases affecting the heart muscle. There are several kinds of cardiomyopathies, and each one has its own set of possible causes and outcomes. One of the common characteristics … Read More
Balance is defined as the ability to maintain the body’s center of mass over its base of support. This is achieved by a complex interplay of input to the brain from our eyes, our muscles and joints, and the vestibular organs in our inner ear. Even in the absence of … Read More
Medications that lower high blood pressure (hypertension) are essential in the battle to prevent heart attack and brain-damaging stroke. But finding the right antihypertensive drug for an individual patient from among the many available medications is not necessarily a straightforward process. Many factors must be considered in selecting a patient’s … Read More
Having elevated blood pressure is dangerous, but how do you know what blood pressure is too high? In 2014, the recommendation for target blood pressure readings changed and increased the reading that justifies using hypertension medications. You’ll want to avoid these potentially harmful drugs if you can. When are hypertension … Read More
While you may think of vitamin C mostly as a supplement for boosting your immune system, it is essential for much more. A recent study out of John’s Hopkins School of Medicine suggests that vitamin C also works as an effective natural remedy for high blood pressure. Affecting 30 percent … Read More
