Who Needs Heart Bypass Surgery Rather Than a Stent? What the Heart Team Weighs
Heart bypass surgery is usually offered when coronary blockages are too extensive, too complex, or too poorly placed for stents to treat well: typically…
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Blog Category
Heart & Metabolism
Articles on the heart and metabolism: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, heart rhythm and the risk factors that link them. Chest pain, breathlessness or fainting need urgent care, not reading.
How to Measure Blood Pressure at Home: The Technique Most People Get Wrong
To measure blood pressure at home, use a validated automatic upper-arm monitor with a cuff sized to your arm. Sit quietly for five minutes…
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Who Is a Candidate for Percutaneous PFO or ASD Closure, and Who Is Better Served by Surgery?
Percutaneous PFO closure is usually considered for adults under about 60 who have had a stroke of unclear cause that a full workup links…
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What an Echocardiogram Shows in Pericardial Effusion and How It Guides Treatment
An echocardiogram shows how much fluid surrounds the heart, where it sits, and whether it is pressing on the heart chambers. Measuring the fluid…
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Managing Hypertension Day to Day: Salt, Weight, Exercise and a Reading Log Your Doctor Can Use
Living with hypertension means treating blood pressure as a number you manage rather than a label you carry. Guidelines point to four everyday levers:…
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Blood Pressure by Age: What the Charts Show, and What They Can’t
A blood pressure chart by age is less useful than it sounds. For adults, major guidelines define normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mm…
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Menopause Weight Gain and the ‘Menopause Belly’: What Actually Helps
Menopause belly fat responds to the same evidence-based tools as any abdominal fat, but the hormonal shift makes consistency matter more: regular aerobic activity…
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How Endocarditis Is Treated: From Targeted Antibiotics to Valve Surgery in Selected Cases
Endocarditis is treated mainly with several weeks of intravenous antibiotics matched to the exact organism grown from blood cultures, usually two to six weeks…
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How Long a Heart Stent Lasts, How Many You Can Have, and What They Are Made of
A coronary stent is designed to stay in place for life; the metal mesh does not wear out or need replacing, and the artery…
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How Long Does Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Take, and What Happens in Those Hours?
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) usually takes about three to six hours of operating time, according to national health services and major medical references.…
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How to Detox Your Body: Meet the Organs Already Doing It
You do not need a cleanse to detox your body. Your liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, and gut already filter and remove waste and foreign…
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Pulse Oximeter: What Your Reading Means and Its Limits
A pulse oximeter estimates the oxygen saturation of your blood (SpO2) and shows your pulse rate. For most healthy adults, a normal SpO2 falls…
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Is Type 1 Diabetes Genetic? Family Risk, Triggers and What Science Shows
Type 1 diabetes is partly genetic but not directly inherited. Certain gene variants, especially in the HLA immune-recognition genes, raise the odds that the…
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Pulmonary Hypertension Is Not High Blood Pressure: Myths About the Lung Arteries Corrected
Pulmonary hypertension is not the same as high blood pressure. Ordinary hypertension is raised pressure in the body's main arteries, measured with an arm…
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Is Type 2 Diabetes Genetic? Family Risk, Lifestyle Factors and How to Lower Your Odds
Type 2 diabetes is partly genetic. Having a parent or sibling with the condition raises your risk, and researchers have linked hundreds of common…
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How Is a Pulmonary Embolism Treated? Anticoagulants, Thrombolysis and Catheter Options
A pulmonary embolism is treated mainly with anticoagulant medicines, which stop the clot from growing and prevent new ones while the body gradually dissolves…
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Stroke Volume Explained: The Heart’s Output per Beat
Stroke volume is the amount of blood the heart's left ventricle pumps out with a single contraction, roughly 70 milliliters in a healthy…
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Does Insulin Cause Weight Gain? Why It Happens and How to Manage It
Insulin therapy can contribute to modest weight gain, in long-term trials, roughly 4 kilograms (about 9 pounds) over several years, with most of…
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