Statin Side Effects: Muscle Aches, Diabetes Risk and the Nocebo Effect, Explained
Statins side effects are usually mild and less common than many people believe. Muscle aches are the most reported complaint, yet blinded trials show…
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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.
Can Stress Raise Cholesterol? What the Research Shows and How to Lower Both
Stress can raise cholesterol, though usually indirectly and modestly. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline release fatty acids and glucose into the blood,…
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Blood Pressure Chart: What Your Numbers Mean at Every Age
A blood pressure chart sorts readings into categories. Normal is below 120/80 mmHg; elevated is 120 to 129 on top with a bottom number…
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Preparing for Heart Bypass Surgery: Stopping Smoking, Medicine Adjustments and Fasting
Preparing for heart bypass surgery usually means three things in the weeks beforehand: stopping smoking as early as possible, reviewing every medicine and supplement…
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Uric Acid: What High Levels Mean Beyond Gout: Kidneys, Heart and Metabolism
Uric acid is a waste product made when the body breaks down purines, and the kidneys clear most of it. High levels (hyperuricemia) can…
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Life After Endocarditis: Dental Care, Follow-Up Echoes and Protecting Your Heart Valves
Life after endocarditis usually means finishing a supervised antibiotic course, having a repeat echocardiogram at the end of treatment to record the new state…
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How Balloon Valvuloplasty Widens a Narrowed Heart Valve Through a Catheter
Balloon valvuloplasty treats a narrowed heart valve by threading a flexible tube called a catheter from a blood vessel in the groin to the…
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After CTO Treatment: The Medicines and Habits That Help Keep the Reopened Artery Open
After CTO PCI, keeping the reopened artery open usually rests on three things: taking the antiplatelet medicines exactly as prescribed for the full period…
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Recovery After Percutaneous Closure: The One-Night Stay, Echo Checks and Return to Exercise
Most people go home the morning after percutaneous PFO closure, and some the same day, then return to desk work and light activity within…
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Which Heart Tests Come First in a Cardiovascular Toxicology Evaluation and What They Show
In a cardiovascular toxicology evaluation for people starting or receiving cancer treatment, the first heart tests are usually an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram measuring ejection…
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TAVI vs Open Valve Surgery for Heart Valve Disease: How the Approach Is Chosen
TAVI and open heart valve surgery both replace a failing aortic valve, but they reach it differently: TAVI threads a new valve through a…
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Can Type 2 Diabetes Turn into Type 1? The Difference Explained and What Actually Happens
No. Type 2 diabetes cannot turn into type 1, because they are two different diseases with different causes. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition…
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Cardiorenal Syndrome Treatment Steps: Stabilizing Fluid Balance Before Anything Else
Cardiorenal syndrome treatment steps usually begin by working out whether the body is holding too much fluid or too little, then relieving congestion with…
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Which Tests Make Up a Heart Transplant Evaluation, and What the Transplant Team Looks For
A heart transplant evaluation combines blood tests (blood type, tissue typing, antibody screening, infection and organ-function panels), heart tests (echocardiogram, ECG, right heart catheterization,…
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Coronary Angiogram Recovery: Rest, Fluids and How Soon Normal Activity Returns
Most people go home the same day after a coronary angiogram and feel largely back to normal within about a week. Expect a few…
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How TAVI Replaces a Narrowed Aortic Valve Through a Catheter, From Puncture to Deployment
TAVI, or transcatheter aortic valve implantation, replaces a narrowed aortic valve without opening the chest. A cardiologist punctures an artery, usually at the top…
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The Thyroid: Where It Is, What It Does and the Signs It Is Not Working Properly
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the lower front of the neck, just below the Adam's apple, wrapped around the front of…
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How Long Is Recovery After Heart Valve Surgery? From Intensive Care to Cardiac Rehab
Recovery after heart valve surgery usually unfolds in stages: about a day in intensive care, roughly a week in the hospital, and two to…
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