Which Heart Conditions Need a Pacemaker: The Rhythm Problems It Treats and Why
Pacemakers are mainly used for heart rhythms that are too slow or poorly coordinated. The most common reasons are sick sinus syndrome, where the…
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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.
Insulin Injection Sites and Needle Length: Where to Inject and How to Rotate Safely
Insulin should be injected into subcutaneous fat at one of four regions: the abdomen (at least two inches from the navel), the front or…
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Ablation Therapy or Long-Term Rhythm Medicines: How Cardiologists Weigh the Two Paths
Catheter ablation and long-term rhythm medicines are both accepted, guideline-supported ways to manage many arrhythmias, and neither is universally better. Randomized trials show ablation…
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Doppler Ultrasound and Ankle-Brachial Index: How Peripheral Vascular Disease Is Staged
Peripheral artery disease is staged by combining what a person feels with what two painless tests measure. The ankle-brachial index compares blood pressure at…
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Blood Thinners After Heart Valve Surgery: Who Needs Them and How They Are Monitored
Not everyone needs blood thinners after heart valve surgery. People who receive a mechanical valve usually take a vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant, such as…
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After Coronary CT Angiography: Fluids, Contrast Dye and the Symptoms Worth a Call
After coronary CT angiography, most people notice only a warm flush, a metallic taste or a brief urge to urinate, and these pass within…
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Coronary Artery Bypass Recovery: What the Six-to-Twelve-Week Timeline Looks Like in Practice
After coronary artery bypass grafting, most people spend about a week in hospital and then heal at home over roughly six to twelve weeks.…
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Prediabetes Diet: What to Eat to Push Blood Sugar Back Into Range
A prediabetes diet centers on high-fiber vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruit, nuts, lean proteins and unsaturated fats, while shrinking sugary drinks, refined grains and…
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How CT or MR Angiography Defines the Affected Aortic Segment Before Treatment Is Planned
CT angiography for aortic disease uses a rapid CT scan timed to an injection of iodinated contrast to show the whole aorta in three…
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How Long Is Recovery After Endovascular Surgery? Access-Site Care and Activity Limits
Recovery after endovascular surgery is usually measured in days to a few weeks rather than months. Most people leave the hospital within about one…
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What Preparing for Robotic Cardiac Surgery Involves: Angiography, Echo and a Medicine Review
Preparing for robotic cardiac surgery usually involves three strands: imaging that maps the heart and vessels (coronary angiography and echocardiography, often with a chest…
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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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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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