Welcome to Huntington Heart Center Blog
Alcohol Consumption and Heart Health – Is It Good or Bad for You?
There has been quite a bit of research undertaken on how alcohol affects the heart and general health. Some conflicting conclusions have been drawn that alcohol can alternately be bad or curative for you. However, while most studies show an association between alcohol and changes in the heart, very few have proven cause and effect. So, what’s the truth?
Huntington Heart Center Expands to Include Primary Care
The Huntington Heart Center is proud to announce the opening of our primary care facility Northport Comprehensive Care. With more and more consolidation in medicine, we know that our patients value a caring, supportive and personalized environment in which to receive comprehensive heart care. Adding primary care services for our patients allows us to treat them more fully.
Tips to Reducing Your Sodium Intake
Salt…sodium chloride; one of the most common and innocuous compounds on Earth. However, salt can wreak havoc on our bodies when we consume it in excess. Not only does salt cause water retention, bloating, seemingly never-ending thirst and more, it can also cause a wide range of very serious chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, stomach cancer and osteoporosis.
Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
Heart attacks also known as myocardial infarction occurs when blood flow to the heart from a major artery is blocked. This is usually due to the buildup of plaque on the arterial walls. This buildup narrows the arteries, allowing less blood to pass through and back to the heart. Eventually the artery can shut completely, or a piece of plaque can break off and block blood flow.
Three Hard and Fast Rules for Avoiding Varicose Veins
As we age, the risk of developing varicose veins increases. In fact, most people over the age of 60 will develop varicose veins at some point in their lives. True, we all want to stay young and many of us act young, but ultimately our true age catches up to us. Varicose veins are no exception. As with most bodily functions, veins become weaker with age and are prone to stretching and enlarging. Despite their prevalence, the risks of varicose veins can be reduced through commonsense, easy lifestyle changes. Here are the three hard and fast rules for avoiding their development.
The 3 Foods & Drinks You Need to Avoid for Your Heart’s Sake
We’re always reading magazine articles about the best foods for your health and by the time you get through the list, it just becomes overwhelming. From fruits and nuts, to veggies and lean meats…yes, they’re all good and adding them to the diet is really important. However, we consume a whole lot more than that and it is some of those unhealthy foods that create some real problems. So, let’s look at the five foods and drinks that you should consider avoiding:
The Risks and Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
We all know that heart attacks are serious. We are often reminded about them from concerned family members when we’re stressed or from the myriad of public service announcements on TV, the radio and on billboards. While we’ve been trained to worry about a heart attack, we still lag in the risks and warning signs that we should be aware of to avoid one in the first place or get treatment at the earliest possible time.
Varicose Veins During Pregnancy
Varicose veins are unsightly and often uncomfortable twisted and bulging veins, normally found in the legs. There are a number of risk factors for varicose veins including excess weight, heredity and, the topic of this blog – pregnancy. Varicose veins are typically harmless during pregnancy but should be evaluated by a vein specialist to ensure there are no serious underlying issues.
Exercises to Manage Peripheral Artery Disease Pain
Peripheral Artery Disease or PAD is a vascular disease caused by the narrowing of arteries in the extremities of the body including legs, arms and even the head. Most cases of PAD are caused by aging, excess weight and obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and/or smoking. All of these factors can increase the chance of atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the arteries, and have adverse effects on circulation. The primary symptom of PAD is pain in the extremities along with weakness, pale skin and even open wounds. Most patients that experience PAD are over the age of 70, although it can also occur in younger patients with significant risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Obesity, Irregular Heartbeat and Stroke Risk
As we learn more about excess weight and its consequences, it has become clear how far-reaching its effects truly are. We have known for years that excess weight can lead to cardiac issues as a result of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. More recent studies have identified that some of the factors underlying cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, are directly linked to excess weight and obesity. A 2015 study1 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology shows that obesity has direct follow-on ramifications including increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and atrial fibrillation.
