If you have the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (AFib), you may be confused as to whether it’s a good idea to exercise. No wonder. To this point, the few studies on AFib and exercise have been contradictory. But, there’s been positive indication that a carefully structured exercise program may help some people with AFib better manage their condition…

It’s no secret that eating or drinking too much sugar is an unhealthy choice. Foods and beverages laden with the sweet stuff have been strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Scientists quantified sugar’s effects and found a shocking number of lives could be saved by giving up the worst culprit. One of those could be yours…

Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce chronic disease risk. Why? It helps burn fat that can lead to metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But the number one factor is an accumulation of fat around your middle. So if you’re going to exercise, pick one known to go straight for this fat…

To keep our hearts healthy, we’re bombarded with well-meaning advice. Eat this, don’t eat that. Exercise this much. Don’t sit too much. Avoid bad habits and reduce the stress levels in your life. But there’s one simple piece of advice that, if you follow especially during midlife, could eliminate heart failure from your future…

The aorta, the main artery coming into the heart, becomes gradually stiffer with age, even without other risk factors, like smoking or obesity. This stiffening is the main reason the risk of hypertension increases as we get older. But even if weight is a problem, you might be surprised to find you don’t have to starve to make a significant difference in your heart health…

Certain foods have a reputation as superfoods, meaning they possess particularly heathy attributes that confer improved health and even longer life to those who eat them. You can include them as part of healthy diet or, in the case of this one, the worse your diet is, the bigger the benefits you’ll see…

Erectile dysfunction is a subject most men don’t want to talk about. After all, many men take it as another sign, along with laugh lines and a receding hairline, that they’re just getting older. But if you’re experiencing problems in the bedroom that you’ve been ignoring, the results of a study of over 95,000 men in Australia may be a wake-up call for you…

There’s a reason we’ve learned to trust our gut instincts. Research has revealed that it works for the body like a second brain and that its effects on total body health can reach far beyond its intestinal confines. That’s why when scientists had a gut feeling about its connection to heart disease, they couldn’t shake it until they discovered this missing link…

Walking is probably one of our favorite forms of exercise. But many hardcore fitness freaks might cast doubt on the benefits of waking a few hours a week. If they are ever unfortunate enough to experience stroke, they may change their minds. Reducing risk of death up to 80 percent is nothing to scoff at…

For years, doctors have used a menopausal woman’s chronological age and years since onset of menopause to determine whether hormone therapy is too risky for her cardiovascular health. Now, researchers are suggesting physicians look at a completely different kind of age for a more accurate measure…

Metabolic syndrome is bad enough on its own since it raises your risk of problems like heart attack, stroke and diabetes, not to mention premature death. But when combined with chronic kidney disease, the cluster of conditions that make up metabolic syndrome can send those risks into the stratosphere. Here’s how to avoid them…

If you’re nearing 50 and find that you’re simply not as tall as you used to be, you’re not alone. That’s because height loss due to the shrinking of your spinal discs, compression fractures and poor posture often start adding up by your 5th decade. It may be a blow to your ego but an ever bigger one to your health. Good news: you can slow it.