Posted on by: Jackie A. Thayer

Heart disease is in the eye of the beholder

eye
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

In a new study from Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health, researchers have identified a potential new marker that shows cardiovascular disease may be present in a patient using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan—a non-invasive diagnostic tool commonly used in ophthalmology and optometry clinics to create images of the retina. The finding suggests it may be possible to detect heart disease during an eye examination.

In the paper published March 2, 2021 in EClinical Medicine by The Lancet, the research team examined lesions of the retina, the inner-most, light-sensitive layer of

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Posted on by: Jackie A. Thayer

Mental health seen as possible new risk factor for heart disease: Why women are more affected

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a rise in stress, anxiety and depression, leading to a staggering increase in mental health disorders. Now, experts are warning that our mental health can also impact our heart health, particularly for women.

Last month, the American Heart Association released a scientific statement highlighting the strong link between heart health, mental health and overall wellbeing.

“This is a really important message that no cardiovascular disease really should be addressed as an isolated entity, but really it’s part of an integrated system, where the mind, the heart, and the body are all

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Posted on by: Jackie A. Thayer

How to Prevent Heart Disease and Improve Your Heart Health

Welcome to 2021. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions this year? Did they involve promises about eating better, losing weight, exercising more and stressing less? What about prioritizing sleep and curbing the booze? If your goals included one or all of the above, you might as well have just said this is the year you resolve to prevent heart disease. Because each of those resolutions takes you one step closer to the formidable task of keeping your heart healthy.

Heart disease isn’t necessarily something on your radar—but it should be. “Heart disease is the number one cause of

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Posted on by: Jackie A. Thayer

With Heart Disease Still The #1 Killer, Prioritize Your Heart In 2021

image of a heart for discussing heart disease

Source: krisanapong detraphiphat / Getty

If you’re going into 2021 with goals in mind to achieve, one that you should add to your list is taking care of your heart health. Heart disease is the leading killer of all Americans, with causes for it including high blood pressure, not properly managing stress, obesity, high cholesterol, and a lack of physical activity, among other things. Black people are especially impacted by high blood pressure, with Black women 60 percent more likely to have it than white women.

“There are many reasons why high blood pressure disproportionately affects this population,

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The World’s Tiniest Endoscope Could Fight Heart Disease

Photo credit: Simon Thiele and Jiawen Li
Photo credit: Simon Thiele and Jiawen Li

From Popular Mechanics

  • Australian scientists have designed the world’s smallest imaging device: a scope for taking 3D images inside the blood vessels.

  • It’s meant to help uncover clues about heart attacks and the progression of heart disease.

  • The scientists published their findings on July 20 in the journal Light: Science & Applications.

Heart disease, a.k.a. the “silent killer,” is the leading cause of death in the U.S. About 647,000 Americans die from the disease each year, making up roughly one-quarter of total annual deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

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Posted on by: Jackie A. Thayer

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US — here’s how to prevent and treat the condition

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US — here’s how to prevent and treat the condition

Heart disease is a dangerous condition, but it can be prevented with routine doctor’s visits and lifestyle changes.

Terry Vine/Getty Images

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 647,000 Americans die from heart disease a year — a total of one in every four deaths — making it the leading cause of death in the US.

Heart disease encompasses a range of heart health problems. For example, you may know someone who has had a heart attack, but this is just one of many types of heart disease. Most of the time, heart disease

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