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If you have stable angina-meaning your chest pain occurs predictably with physical exertion and disappears with rest-your doctor may recommend a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, or balloon angioplasty and stenting) to relieve your symptoms.

Dont forget to cultivate good habits as a couple. A different study revealed a higher risk of diabetes in husbands whose wives gained weight. Since couples tend to eat the same meals and have the same eating habits, both people are likely to suffer or benefit from their choices, so choose well.

Anticoagulants-more widely known as blood thinners-are used in patients with cardiovascular disease. Blood thinners dont actually thin the blood; they interfere with the ability of a protein called fibrinogen that causes blood to clot. This makes them useful for preventing blood clots from forming in the arteries or veins, where they could cause a heart attack or stroke or blood clots in the legs or lungs.

Tis the season for office parties, cocktail parties, reunions, family gatherings and other occasions where alcohol freely flows. When youre enjoying yourself, its easy to drink more alcohol than you intended. Never mind the hangover that youll regret tomorrow: Consuming too much alcohol in a single occasion can trigger an irregular heartbeat.

If youve never experienced a heart attack, you may rightly assume that when one does strike youll feel the first signs in your chest. Thats because chest pain or discomfort are among the most common heart attack symptoms. However, its quite possible to have a heart attack and never have any chest pain. One study of more than

Around the time of menopause, many women discover they no longer sleep like they used to. Hot flashes cause many to awaken multiple times per night and have difficultly going back to sleep. Some women need to get up several times a night to urinate, due to declining levels of the hormone that allows the body to retain water. Others just cant fall asleep at night, or find they awaken too early.

Atrial fibrillation (afib) affects an estimated 2.7 million Americans, and is a leading risk factor for stroke and other cardiovascular problems. When a heart is in afib, the upper chambers (atria) beat chaotically and out of synch with the lower chambers (ventricles). This can cause blood to pool in the heart and form a blood clot. It can also put extra strain on the heart, putting you at a higher risk of heart failure.

Strength training should be a regular part of your exercise regimen. In a recent study, researchers found that people who did strength training for up to an hour a week reduced their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by as much as 29 percent. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors that raise your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. You are considered to have metabolic syndrome if you have three of the following risk factors:

There are a number of steps that you can take to reduce inflammation and lower your risk of a heart attack. They include the well-established rules of heart disease prevention. For a long time we have known that heart disease is related to smoking, diet, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and stress, Dr. Rothberg says. All of these lead to inflammation. To reduce it, people can stop smoking and make sure they eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while avoiding processed foods and sugar. They should make exercise a regular part of their lives. They should take steps to reduce stress, such as mindfulness meditation. Some medications that reduce cholesterol, statins in particular, also reduce inflammation, as does a daily aspirin. Both of these medications should be taken only at the advice of a physician.

A blood clot that gets lodged in your lungs - a condition known as a pulmonary embolism - typically starts out in your leg before traveling up into your heart and then your lungs. In the legs, this clot is called a deepvein thrombosis, and it can develop quickly. The complications that can stem from a pulmonary embolism (PE) include damage to the affected lung, low oxygen levels in the blood, and damage to other organs that dont receive enough oxygen.

Stroke is among the leading causes of death in the U.S., but it is still a misunderstood health condition. Plenty of myths and misguided ideas surround stroke, from its causes and symptoms to its potential severity and the particulars of recovery. To help clear up some misunderstandings, Efrain Salgado, MD, director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Stroke Center and Neurosonology Laboratory, explains the truth about 10 common stroke myths

If you have heart disease or even just heart disease risk factors, you have probably been told that you and your healthcare providers are part of a team. But that leaves out some pretty important teammates: your family and friends. Whether its helping you adjust to a more heart-healthy lifestyle or knowing the warning signs and how to respond to a heart attack or stroke, your loved ones can have a significant impact on your physical and emotional health in the years ahead.