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If you are afflicted with high blood pressure, often a high blood pressure medication is prescribed. Like any clinical solution, it’s important for patients who take blood pressure medication to understand its effects as well as the dosage instructions.

Among the treatments offered to patients with heart problems and high blood pressure are beta blockers. Beta blockers, or beta-adrenergic blocking agents, block the effects of adrenaline (epinephrine), causing the heart to beat slower and resulting in lower blood pressure. This effect improves blood flow by opening up the blood vessels, often a welcome result for patients with angina, high blood pressure, or irregular heartbeats.

Sodium is an essential mineral for the human body, yet too much of it can cause problems for the human heart. An overload of sodium in the bloodstream can lead to higher blood pressure, which can increase risk in people with higher-than-average blood pressure for serious, potentially life-threatening conditions.

While the warmth of the summer season can be inviting for outdoor activity, too much exposure to extreme heat can have a negative effect on people diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease. As a result, it’s important that everyone, but especially people with a known condition, be extremely cautious when venturing into the heat for any extended period of time.

The summertime opens many opportunities for heart-healthy activities, but beating the heat can be a challenge without a careful approach. No matter the weather, staying active and conscious of your cardiovascular health is important, but working out in the heat has its dangers.

What’s a 4^th of July cookout without burgers on the grill, creamy potato salad and apple pie? The holiday wouldn’t be complete without an outdoor feast. But, before you dig into that classic American meal, have you considered the impact it could have on your body?

The more coronary calcium you have, the higher the chances of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular problems in the future. A heart scan, also known as a coronary calcium scan uses computerized tomography (CT) technology to capture pictures of the heart, detect and measure calcium-containing plaque in the arteries.

Cholesterol itself isn’t bad. In fact, your body needs cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamin D, and digestive fluids to help your organs function properly. However, having too much LDL cholesterol in your system can be a problem.

Stressful situations can cause your blood pressure to spike temporarily. But, does it cause long-term effects on your health – specifically, blood pressure?

Stress is your body’s response to change, releasing adrenaline (that causes your heart rate to speed up and your blood pressure rise) to help you cope with the situation. While the link between stress and heart disease is unclear, it is linked with high blood pressure, which is a leading risk factor for heart disease.

According to the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), roughly 735,000 Americans have a heart attack each year. And of these people, 210,000 have already had a heart attack.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women and the vast majority of heart attacks are caused by known risk factors – many of which can be reduced or managed.