Normally, the heart takes it easy during sleep, as blood pressure and heart rate drop to low and relaxed levels. However, having a heart attack during sleep is possible. In most cases, the sleeper wakes up due to pain. Contact 911 if you ever...
Caffeine is well-known for its ability to help you wake up in the morning and fight off sleepiness at other times of day. Coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks are used as a pick-me-up. Caffeine stimulates you physically and...
Most Americans do not get enough sleep. Those who do manage to make it to bed on time can still wake up feeling achy and sore. In some cases, sleepers may have the wrong mattresses for their needs, but others simply need to adjust sleeping...
Put down that all-natural energy drink. The truly natural way to restore the body and get energized is by sleeping. Sleep debt can have some serious health risks, especially for the cardiovascular system (CVS). Getting enough sleep and watching...
Sleep to get the rest you need every night, but rest assured, your heart does not sleep. It slows down, a state called bradycardia, for part of the night, but may speed up, too. Your heart stays on alert, varying its rate for your body's changing...
Everybody has a natural pacemaker that sends signals throughout the heart muscle telling it when to beat and how fast or slow it should be beating in conjunction with what the rest of the body is doing. Sometimes, these signals misfire and the...
High heart rate and low heart pressure is likely an indication of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat within the upper chambers of the heart. With the increase in heart rate of the atria, the ventricles, or the lower chambers of the...
William Shakespeare, in "Macbeth," spoke of the "sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care." It is a time of restoration when your body and mind slow down, a time for your heart to lower its pace to match your diminished need for strength...
Body fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) are two of the best indicators of your chronic health risks. According to the Mayo Clinic, high body fat percentages for women are greater than 30 percent and over 20 percent for men. This comes with a...
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common condition that increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. In most cases, it is caused by genetics or due to lifestyle choices such as being overweight, eating too much cholesterol, fat and salt,...
Weight gain and obesity are attributed to several health conditions that affect the heart and kidneys. Obesity also increases the chances of cancer and the development of type 2 diabetes. Although small amounts of weight gain aren't always...
A BMI of 35.1 falls into an unhealthy range. According to the Weight-control Information Network, a majority percent of the American population have a BMI that is in the over weight or obese weight ranges. Having a healthy BMI is important as it...
Tobacco smoking often leads to serious health conditions and diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association reports that smoking is the main culprit behind preventable diseases and deaths in the United States....
Each person has a heart rate that can be found by assessing one's pulse. Simply press your fingertips along a large vein--usually at the wrist or along the throat. Count the heartbeats for six seconds and then multiply by 10 to get your heart...
Heart disease is generally considered a male-dominated disease, but it is the number one killer of both men and women. According to statistics provided by the American Heart Association, 1 in 4 women in the United States dies of heart disease,...
Cardiac decompensation--more commonly known as congestive heart failure--is a serious condition in which the heart can't pump an efficient amount of blood to the rest of the body, according to the American Heart Association. Medline Plus says...
Vitamin D is important for absorbing calcium and keeping your bones strong. Your body also uses it for cell differentiation, regulating your insulin and blood pressure and proper immune system function. However, because vitamin D is a fat-soluble...
According to The Mayo Clinic, body mass index (BMI) is a formula that doctors use to determine if you are obese. A BMII measuring at 30 or higher is considered obese and comes with negative health consequences. A BMI of 40 or more indicates that...
Women have almost half of all heart attacks in the U.S., reports the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for women. Women often know they are not feeling right in the time prior to a heart attack....
In today's fast-paced world, people have come to consider sleeping a luxury instead of a necessity. Hours that should be spent resting are instead spent on television, games, the Internet and work. It is vital that you understand how important...
Magnesium chloride exists as a salt in which magnesium ions are chemically bonded to chlorine. Available in a variety of forms, this form of the mineral shows a range of unique uses in the body, With more than 300 enzymes dependent on an adequate...
According to HeartHealthyWomen.org, many women wait two hours or more after the first symptoms of a heart attack to seek help, and that delay in treatment makes them more likely to die or suffer serious long-term complications. Women are more...
According to the CDC statistics, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. More women die from some form of heart disease than from all forms of cancer. Though women can experience the same warnings signs...
According to the Center for Disease control, 68 percent of Americans are considered overweight and 34 percent are obese. The trend towards being overweight comes from larger portion sizes, more saturated fat and an increasing sedentary lifestyle....
According to the American Heart Association, some heart attacks are sudden and intense, while others begin slowly, with mild symptoms. The most common heart attack symptom among both men and women is chest pain or discomfort, although women have a...
Normal sleep is an uninterrupted and unconscious resting time your body and mind need for seven to eight hours out of every 24. Sleep slows and relaxes your heart and circulatory system because your metabolic needs are lower. So predicting your...
Your risks for heart disease, cancer and stroke --- the three most prevalent causes of death --- can all be mitigated by good eating, sleeping and exercise habits. Instead of turning to medications or surgery after the fact, opt for a practical...
CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, provides a treatment process that uses a CPAP machine to generate and force air, at a preset pressure, into the airway. The airway pressure keeps the airway open to prevent snoring, sleep apnea, and in...
While popular perception often holds that men are more likely to experience heart disease than women, in fact women are susceptible to heart disease as well. Further, women's heart problem symptoms can be much more subtle than those of men, making...