The human heart takes its cues from chemistry as much as anatomy. A stream of Hormonal signals tells blood vessels when to expand or contract and tells the liver how to handle cholesterol. Those factors can impact how hard the heart has to work. Over time, sustained shifts in hormone signaling can turn into heart … Read more

Social determinants of health, such as income, healthcare availability, education, food access, and location, are non-medical factors that can shape a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease and ability to survive it. The Healthy People 2030 framework organizes these non-medical influences into five distinct categories: All five categories operate through mechanisms, including chronic stress, poor … Read more

Personalized medicine is seen by many scientists as the future of health care and a powerful tool to improve heart health. Genetic tests and other diagnostic tools can help your health care provider find specific solutions tailored to your unique needs. But medicine is not the only field getting a personal touch. Nutrition is a … Read more

Early childhood is a critical period for the development of educational and social skills, as well as for establishing the foundation for lifelong health. New parents may not realize that their daily decisions, including lifestyle habits and the home environment they create, can have lasting effects on their children’s long-term health. A growing body of … Read more

As we age, we gradually lose muscle mass as part of the natural aging process. This muscle loss can become more pronounced as we enter our senior years. In some cases, the loss of muscle mass and strength is enough to become a medically concerning condition known as sarcopenia. How Sarcopenia Impacts Daily Life Sarcopenia … Read more

Scientists are learning that keeping your heart healthy may also depend on the health of your stomach. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that play a role in a wide array of health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. The population of microbes living in the human intestinal tract and their genetic … Read more

An important part of maintaining a healthy heart may rely on what you eat. Specifically, probiotics are living microorganisms that live in foods, such as yogurt. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that can feed the microbes that live in your stomach and intestinal tract. These substances hold great promise for reducing the risk of … Read more

Getting a good amount of sleep each night can yield important health benefits throughout your body, including the heart. Experts recommend at least 7 hours of sleep per night for most adults as part of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep is a time when many of your body’s functions slow down. Your body takes this time … Read more

The heart is the most important muscle in the body—it’s the one that keeps us alive. When the heart can’t keep up due to disease, damage, or other issues, technology is available to help. Two of the most common devices associated with heart attacks, heart disease, and other heart conditions are pacemakers and defibrillators. But … Read more

Heart transplantation is one of the most successful advances in modern medicine. A fascinating aspect is that heart transplantation is the product of research, surgical technique, and medical forethought that have come together to allow its occurrence as a regular procedure saving countless lives. The Basics of Heart Transplantation Heart transplantation is the replacement of … Read more