Blogs

Your heart is a little like an electrical appliance. It’s a pump that functions on electrical impulses. If you have problems with those impulses, a pacemaker can help — but it does require some precautions.

When a movie portrays a heart attack, it’s almost always a man experiencing it. Heart disease is often thought of as a problem affecting mostly men, but that’s not the case. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among women.

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.

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.

You may have seen or heard confusing information about cholesterol. Talk of good and bad cholesterol can make it hard to know what to do. Read on as our experts help to sort it out.

A healthy heart is a steady heart. Arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, can be scary and pose a significant risk of stroke or heart attack if untreated. Some simple lifestyle changes can keep your heart beating normally. 

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?

Your cardiovascular system is complex, and the right tests are crucial when you have a problem. One your doctor may request is a Bio-Z test. Here’s why you might need it and what to expect when you have it.

Peripheral artery disease can sneak up on you. The only symptom may be an ache in your calf, and it’s not constant. An ankle-brachial index (ABI) is one of the best ways to determine if you have peripheral artery disease.

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?”

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. 

Modern medicine provides more tools for people with a family history of a scary condition like heart disease. Knowing that vascular disease is common in your family gives you crucial information — and incentive to take action.

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.

Having a strong support system can make managing a chronic health condition like congestive heart failure better. If you’re providing support for a loved one with heart failure, we have a few tips that may help.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

You’ve probably heard the phrase “good cholesterol.” And you’ve probably also heard you need to lower your cholesterol. What does it all mean? Why is some cholesterol deemed “good” and some “bad”?

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. 

When you jog up a flight of stairs, you expect to be short of breath at the top. But what about walking across your kitchen? Or sitting on the sofa? If you’re short of breath in those situations, you need some tests to find out why.

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.

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.

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.

The feeling of your heart “skipping a beat” can be quite uncomfortable! Most of the time, it’s not cause for worry. Here’s what you need to know.

Most people are familiar with the term “ultrasound,” but often only in the context of pregnancy. Vascular ultrasound is a procedure used in cardiology to diagnose a number of problems.

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.

If you have painful cramping in your legs, you’d probably like to find a way to make it stop. Could it be as simple as changing your diet?

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.

Has your doctor ordered an EKG? If so, you may be wondering why, what to expect, and maybe even what EKG stands for. This post has answers!

Heart palpitations during pregnancy are common and usually not cause for concern. Here, we describe palpitations, why they happen during pregnancy, and situations that may be cause for concern.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You have a cramp in your calf. You probably don’t think it has anything to do with your heart, but it could. Leg pain could indicate a cardiovascular problem.

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.

You’ve had a blood test, and the results show that you have high triglycerides. How worried should you be? What should you do?

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.

If your doctor has recommended a vascular ultrasound, you may have some questions. In this post, we discuss the different types of vascular ultrasounds as well as describe the process so you know what to expect.

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.

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.

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.

Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is a common condition that’s often undiagnosed but can lead to big problems. In this post we discuss the symptoms many people miss.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”?

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.

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.

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.

If your doctor recommends that you undergo testing to examine your heart health, there are several common, noninvasive tests that can help measure how well your heart is working.

If you’ve just climbed a flight of stairs, it’s not surprising to feel short of breath. But what if you’re sitting on your sofa and find it difficult to breathe? Does that mean you’re having a heart attack? Maybe.

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.

About 95 million Americans have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL. If you’re one of them, we have some tips to help you keep your numbers in check.

Arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, can cause numerous symptoms, and may be caused by several underlying problems.