Do you find our website to be helpful?
Yes   No

Blog Articles

Heart & Vascular Institute Blog View all posts
Why Does My Leg Hurt at Night?

Why Does My Leg Hurt at Night?

You may wonder why a cardiology practice has a post about nighttime leg pain. Many things can cause leg pain, including vascular and heart problems. Here’s what you need to know.
Feb 2nd, 2025

What’s Causing My Heart Palpitations?
Your heart dropped. Or it flip-flopped. Or it was racing, pounding, beating out of your chest. Or it skipped a beat. We have many ways to describe heart palpitations, but why do they happen? And should you worry?
Nov 8th, 2024

Does Genetics Play a Role in Heart Attacks?

If any of your parents or siblings have had a heart attack, you may have questions about your own heart health. One we often hear is, “Does my DNA mean I’ll have a heart attack?”
Aug 12th, 2024
How Do I Know if I Have High Blood Pressure?

How Do I Know if I Have High Blood Pressure?
You probably know that blood pressure is a vital — crucial, important, necessary for life — sign. And, you might think you’d definitely know if it was high. In fact, the only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to measure it. 
Jul 3rd, 2024
What Can I Expect During My Stress Test?

What Can I Expect During My Stress Test?

Anytime your doctor suggests further testing, it can be worrisome. When your heart’s involved, it can be especially scary. If your doctor has asked you to take a stress test, you probably have questions.
May 2nd, 2024
Don’t Ignore These Signs of a Heart Attack

Don’t Ignore These Signs of a Heart Attack
Movies and television shows have a familiar depiction of a person having a heart attack, but in real life, a heart attack can be far less dramatic. Some symptoms are much more subtle, and some are easy to ignore. 
Mar 2nd, 2024

5 Risk Factors for High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because it doesn’t cause symptoms, so you may not know you have it. In this post, we discuss risk factors that make high blood pressure more likely.
Feb 7th, 2024
How to Get to the Root of Your Chest Pain 

How to Get to the Root of Your Chest Pain 
Chest pain can be worrisome, especially if it recurs. Understanding why you’re experiencing chest pain is the key to addressing the problem. But getting to the root of why you have pain may take time and testing. 
Jan 1st, 2024
Do You Have One of These 5 Causes of Leg Pain?

Do You Have One of These 5 Causes of Leg Pain?

Leg pain may seem like a mere annoyance, but it can indicate heart and vascular issues. In this post, we discuss five potential causes of your leg pain and what to do if your legs hurt.
Dec 12th, 2023
 How Caffeine Affects Your Heart

 How Caffeine Affects Your Heart
If you’ve been diagnosed with a heart problem, you may wonder whether it’s dangerous for you to consume caffeine. Here we discuss the most recent research regarding heart disease and caffeine consumption.
Nov 1st, 2023
Who’s at Risk of Dyspnea?

Who’s at Risk of Dyspnea?
Nearly everyone feels breathless at one time or another, but for some people, shortness of breath becomes commonplace. It’s uncomfortable and can be scary. Here’s what you need to know about dyspnea and your risk. 
Oct 2nd, 2023
 Is a Stress Test Painful? 

 Is a Stress Test Painful? 
If your doctor recommends a stress test, you naturally may have concerns. In this post, we discuss what you should expect during a stress test, including whether it hurts. 
Jul 2nd, 2023
The Dangers of High Blood Pressure

The Dangers of High Blood Pressure
You almost certainly know a few people with high blood pressure, or you may have it yourself. It’s such a common problem it may not seem serious. But high blood pressure presents dangers.
May 1st, 2023
What Is a Silent Heart Attack?

What Is a Silent Heart Attack?

You may not be familiar with silent heart attacks, but they’re common and important to understand. Here, we define a silent heart attack and discuss the risk factors to look for.
Apr 1st, 2023
Is High Cholesterol Putting You at Risk for Heart Disease?

Is High Cholesterol Putting You at Risk for Heart Disease?

There’s certainly a link between blood cholesterol and heart disease risk, but it can be difficult to understand. In this post, we try to clear up some of the confusion and give you clear information about cholesterol, diet, and heart health.
Mar 2nd, 2023
What an Echocardiogram Can Reveal About Your Heart

What an Echocardiogram Can Reveal About Your Heart
An echocardiogram is an imaging test that can help your doctor understand how well your heart is functioning. There are different types of echocardiograms, and your doctor may want you to have one for a variety of reasons.
Dec 1st, 2022
Heart-Healthy Habits Every Woman Should Have

Heart-Healthy Habits Every Woman Should Have
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. In fact, one-third of all women die due to cardiovascular disease. In this post, we describe some heart-healthy habits every woman should strive to develop.
Oct 4th, 2022
Life After a Heart Attack

Life After a Heart Attack
Having a heart attack is scary and may leave you with many questions about what you should or shouldn’t do during recovery and beyond. In this post, we discuss some of what you can expect after a heart attack.
Jul 1st, 2022
When Should I Replace My Pacemaker?

When Should I Replace My Pacemaker?

A pacemaker is an implantable device that helps regulate your heartbeat. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have batteries that last forever, which means you’re likely to need pacemaker replacement surgery eventually.
Jun 1st, 2022
The Warning Signs of Deep Vein Thrombosis

The Warning Signs of Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis is a condition that requires immediate medical attention. But how do you know if you have this problem? In this post, we describe the warning signs to watch for.
May 1st, 2022
How Can I Raise My ‘Good’ Cholesterol?

How Can I Raise My ‘Good’ Cholesterol?
Understanding cholesterol can be confusing, but you probably know there’s “good” and “bad” cholesterol. Raising your good cholesterol can have health benefits. In this post we discuss how you can do that.
Apr 1st, 2022
5 Risk Factors for Heart Attacks

5 Risk Factors for Heart Attacks

Coronary heart disease, the buildup of plaque in the arteries around your heart, is one of the most common cardiovascular issues. Understanding your risk factors, and making modifications where you can, lessens your chance of a heart attack.
Mar 1st, 2022
What Causes Heart Palpitations?

What Causes Heart Palpitations?

Heart palpitations can be startling and even scary. However, sometimes it’s normal for your heart to feel like it’s racing or it missed a beat. This post discusses when to and when not to worry.
Jan 1st, 2022
How Heart Attacks May Present Differently in Women

How Heart Attacks May Present Differently in Women
Many people think of heart disease as an issue that affects mostly men, but the truth is it’s the most common cause of death for men and women. Some of the symptoms of heart disease in women may look different, though.
Nov 1st, 2021
Why You Should Never Ignore Hypertension

Why You Should Never Ignore Hypertension

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is incredibly common — and also represents a severe threat to your health. Here’s what you need to know about hypertension and treatment.
Sep 7th, 2021
The Dangers of High Cholesterol

The Dangers of High Cholesterol
Understanding your cholesterol numbers can be confusing, and if you feel fine, do you really need to worry about high cholesterol? Here’s what you need to know when it comes to cholesterol.
Aug 6th, 2021

What Your Leg Pain Might Be Telling You
Do your legs feel heavy or achy? Aching legs can be the result of something as simple as standing on a hard surface day after day, or it could be a symptom of heart disease.
Jul 15th, 2021

The Many Benefits of a Pacemaker
If your doctor has recommended a pacemaker for you, you may be wondering what the benefits are. In this post we consider a few of the situations when a pacemaker is recommended as well as the benefits of having one.
May 24th, 2021

What to Expect During a Stress Test
If you’ve been told you need a stress test, you might wonder what to expect. Here, we explain why you might need such a test, what a test entails, and what you should expect during your stress test.
Apr 18th, 2021

Understanding Arrhythmia
The term arrhythmia refers to irregularities in your heartbeat. It’s a broad, general term, and if you’ve been told you have arrhythmia, it could mean several things.
Mar 17th, 2021

What Does That Pain in Your Chest Mean?

Pain in your chest can be scary. But there are several reasons your chest might hurt. In this post, we describe some of the reasons you could have chest pain, and what you should do.
Feb 10th, 2021

Is Shortness of Breath Ever Normal?
If you’ve had an episode or two of feeling short of breath, you may be thinking it’s no big deal. There are some instances in which shortness of breath isn’t cause for concern, but they’re relatively rare.
Jan 20th, 2021

Manage Your Hypertension with These Lifestyle Changes
Hypertension is incredibly common — more than 100 million Americans have high blood pressure — and profoundly dangerous. There are some simple lifestyle changes that can help keep your blood pressure in a normal range.
Dec 14th, 2020

Is There Such a Thing as Good Cholesterol?
Understanding cholesterol can be confusing. If you’ve been told that you have “high cholesterol” you might be wondering what that means, exactly. And, isn’t there such a thing as “good cholesterol”?
Nov 20th, 2020

The Link Between Thyroid Disorder and Hypertension

Your body’s systems are interconnected. A problem with your endocrine system, like thyroid disorder, can have a surprising impact on your cardiovascular system. In this post we discuss the link between thyroid disorder and hypertension.
Oct 1st, 2020

3 Common Causes of Chest Pain

If you’re experiencing chest pain, you should seek medical attention, but don’t assume you’re having a heart attack. This post describes three common causes of chest pain.
Sep 1st, 2020

Cardiology and COVID-19: What You Should Know
The global pandemic is a concern for everyone, but for people with heart disease, COVID-19 may be even more dangerous. Cardiology patients need to understand how the virus spreads, how to protect themselves, and what they should and should not do.
Aug 10th, 2020

Most Common Causes for Heart Palpitations
Feeling your heartbeat change can be disconcerting. Most of the time a flutter, skipped beat, or flip-flopping feeling isn’t anything to worry about. This post describes some of the most common reasons you might experience heart palpitations.
May 28th, 2020

Telehealth: The Advantages of Telemedicine
Struggles to get to the clinic? Trying to reduce your exposure to COVID-19, as well as other contagious illnesses, and still need to see your doctor? Telehealth is safe and easy — receive quality care from anywhere.
Feb 10th, 2025