High BP in A.M.

My blood pressure is high in the morning. What causes this?

When you are at rest in a warm bed, arteries dilate and blood pressure tends to be low. When you stand up, your body elevates blood pressure to be sure your brain is perfused so you don’t black out. Getting out of bed in a cold room could cause an increase in pressure. How high does it get when you stand up? Does it then return to normal? Is your blood pressure cuff accurate? Discuss these questions with your doctor.

Heartbeat

Cardiac Test Basics

Please explain the difference between an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram. What exactly do these tests tell doctors about the heart?

July 29, 2010 | Read more »

Give the Gift of Life

My brother-in-law just turned 50 and needs a new heart. We sometimes hear that wealthy people get donor organs quicker than others. Is this true? How long is the usual wait for a new heart?

July 29, 2010 | Read more »

Low-Dose Aspirin for Heart Health

What is the latest information about taking daily baby aspirin to help the heart?

July 29, 2010 | Read more »

Heart Defect Often Causes No Symptoms

I had a stroke in 2003, and a diagnostic test showed a “hole” in my heart with no right-to-left shunt. The shunt didn’t show up on a different kind of test in 2009, either. I came through the stroke fine because I went to the hospital right away and have been on warfarin ever since. My question is: If there’s no shunt, is the hole present?

July 29, 2010 | Read more »

Surgery Corrects Heart Rhythm

Q: How does the Maze treatment for atrial fibrillation work, and what does it involve? A: The Maze procedure is open heart surgery to eliminate rapid heartbeats. It involves making a series of incisions in the top portion of the heart, the atria. In experienced hands, the procedure is successful in more than 90 percent [...]

June 2, 2010 | Read more »