I am so sorry to hear about your mother. Aortic valve stenosis is a narrowing of one of your heart's valves that prevents it from opening fully. This can obstruct blood flow in your heart from going onward to t... continue reading  about  My 86-year-old mom just passed away from aortic valve stenosis. Should I contact my doctor and have my heart checked out? I've heard that most heart exams are geared for men more so than women. What should I do?

The feeling of your heart “flipping around” can be a little scary. However, some irregularities in the heart rhythm is the norm. Extra beats, called premature atrial or ventricular contractions, are... continue reading  about  I just e-mailed my doctor about the feeling that my heart is flipping around in my chest. I feel like I have a heart problem. I had a 24-hour Holter monitor and they said it looks fine. But I think something is wrong. Should I see a cardiologist?

Caffeine has multiple effects on the central nervous system, as well as the heart. Typically most people will experience an increase in heart rate, the degree of which differs among individuals. The amount of i... continue reading  about  My husband and I both have a large black coffee every day. After drinking his coffee, my husband's heart rate is elevated for hours. I don't see any increase in my heart rate from drinking coffee. Is this due to metabolism? Should my husband drink decaf?

PSVTs, or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias, are generally quite bothersome, but almost never life-threatening. The only time when PSVTs can pose serious danger is in the rare setting of Wolff-Parkinson-... continue reading  about  I have occasional rapid heartbeats, which my doctor recently diagnosed as PSVD. But I have no other heart conditions. So he did not suggest any type of treatment except to avoid certain things like alcohol. Is there anything else I should be doing?

Some migraines can be associated with neurological symptoms such as weakness, numbness, tingling, vision and speech changes, and some strokes can be associated with headaches. Therefore, sometimes it is difficu... continue reading  about  Migraine and stroke symptoms seem to overlap. How do I know I'm just having a migraine and not a stroke?

If your blood pressure is 130-140/80-90, then lifestyle modification should be your initial attempt to lower it. National Institute of Health guidelines include: Weight reduction if you&rsqu... continue reading  about  I’m a 41-year-old woman who exercises regularly and eats healthy food. High cholesterol and high blood pressure run in my family. My blood pressure is borderline high. Are there natural ways to lower blood pressure without medications?

You are correct. There is concern that at least two of the statin drugs, Crestor and simvastation (Zocor), are associated with an increased risk of the development of Type 2 diabetes. A recent meta-analysis (po... continue reading  about  I read that taking rosuvastatin (Crestor) may increase the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Is this true for other statins? I'm a 55-year-old woman who is taking a low dose of Lipitor. My last fasting blood sugar showed that I'm at a pre-diabetes stage.

Every stroke patient is different, and each patient's recovery varies depending on several factors. We do know that intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy can significanly impact and improve a pat... continue reading  about  My dad had a stroke two months ago. He is still having some trouble with walking and speaking. Can you tell me if a stroke victim can ever return to "normal"?

Statins are a class of medications used to lower cholesterol. They work by inhibiting an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which is important for cholesterol production in the liver. Statins are very commonly us... continue reading  about  What is statin therapy and what are the side effects of this drug?