Articles by Kathryn Senior on Advice on Heart Disease and Keeping a Healthy Heart
The Heart: Facts, Figures and Stats
Your heart beats nearly 3 billion times in a lifetime, pumping 200 million litres of blood to keep you alive.
18th July 2026
Hole in the Heart: What Happens Next?
A small hole in the heart found in adulthood is usually harmless, but here's what you need to know about next steps.
17th June 2026
Why Does My Heart Beat Faster After Sweet Food?
A faster heartbeat after sugar might be normal for you, but it could also signal blood sugar problems or caffeine intake worth checking with your doctor.
30th May 2026
Stable and Unstable Angina: What's the Difference?
Stable angina happens predictably during exertion, while unstable angina strikes without warning and signals a medical emergency.
14th April 2026
Heart Disease and Your Mental Health
Why depression after a heart attack is common and why treating it matters just as much as treating your heart.
3rd April 2026
Heart Attack Warning Signs Women Often Miss
Women often mistake heart attack symptoms for indigestion or fatigue, which is why they're more likely to miss critical warning signs.
3rd April 2026
Blood Pressure Monitors: Choosing and Using One at Home
Pick an upper arm monitor from a validated brand, then get accurate readings by sitting still with proper positioning.
3rd April 2026
What Are Aldosterone Antagonists?
Aldosterone antagonists are diuretic drugs that reduce fluid buildup and ease symptoms in people with heart failure.
2nd April 2026
What Is an Aortic Dissection?
An aortic dissection is a tear in your aorta wall that needs urgent treatment, though it's rare in the general population.
28th October 2011
I Had a Cardiac MRI: A Case Study
A 65-year-old woman describes her experience getting a cardiac MRI after chest pain and inconclusive angiogram results.
13th December 2010
What Is Perfusion Scanning?
Perfusion scanning uses medical imaging to check how blood flows through your heart and brain to spot blockages or damage.
3rd December 2010
Natiuretic Peptides and Heart Failure
Heart failure means your heart can't pump blood efficiently around your body, causing breathlessness, tiredness and swelling in your legs and ankles.
2nd December 2010
Laser Surgery for Coronary Artery Disease
Laser surgery offers a less invasive option for coronary artery disease when balloon angioplasty and bypass surgery aren't suitable.
29th November 2010
What Is Ventricular Fibrillation?
Ventricular fibrillation is a life-threatening heart rhythm that requires emergency treatment within minutes to prevent death or brain damage.
29th November 2010
What Is Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)
Acute coronary syndrome covers heart attacks and unstable angina, where blocked coronary arteries stop blood flow to the heart muscle.
25th November 2010
Fibrinogen Treatment Before Heart Surgery
Giving fibrinogen before heart surgery may prevent dangerous bleeding complications that occur after the procedure.
26th July 2010
Heart Valve Replacement Surgery
Heart valve replacement surgery fixes damaged or worn valves to restore proper blood flow and relieve symptoms like breathlessness and chest pain.
22nd July 2010
Why Is High Blood Pressure Bad for the Heart?
High blood pressure makes your heart work much harder and damages organs over time, which is why it's so dangerous for your cardiovascular health.
14th July 2010
What Are Electrophysiological Tests?
How doctors use electrophysiological tests to detect dangerous heart rhythm problems that other imaging can't find.
13th July 2010
How Anorexia Affects the Heart
Anorexia starves the heart along with the body, causing dangerous changes to heart rhythm and increasing the risk of early death.
12th July 2010
What Is Heart Failure?
Heart failure means your heart doesn't pump blood efficiently, but it keeps working and can be managed with treatment.
9th July 2010
What Does a Thallium Stress Test Involve?
A thallium stress test uses exercise or medication to see how blood flows to your heart and detect coronary artery blockages.
8th July 2010
What Are Cardiac Biomarkers?
Cardiac biomarkers are molecules in the blood that signal heart damage or stress, helping doctors diagnose heart attacks and other serious conditions.
29th March 2010
My Baby Had a Hole in the Heart: Case Study
A parent's account of discovering their newborn daughter had a heart defect and navigating treatment and recovery.
29th March 2010
I Had a Cardiac Angiogram: Case Study
One patient's experience getting a cardiac angiogram, what the procedure involves, and how it helped prevent a heart attack.
25th March 2010
Preventing Cardiac Death in Young Athletes
Most young athlete deaths stem from undetected heart problems that show no warning signs until sudden cardiac arrest occurs during activity.
23rd March 2010
What Is Heart Perfusion?
Heart perfusion is the process of delivering oxygen-rich blood to your body during open heart surgery when the heart can't pump on its own.
18th February 2010
Software to View Arteries in 3D
Software that builds 3D images of arteries from X-rays to help doctors spot heart disease before it causes a heart attack.
18th February 2010
Do Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Increase Cancer Risk?
Whether cholesterol-lowering statin drugs increase cancer risk, based on what safety research actually shows.
18th February 2010
My Sister Had a Heart Transplant: A Case Study
Maria's sister Rosa collapsed just months after giving birth, leading to a heart transplant diagnosis that changed their family forever.
18th February 2010
I Had My Cardiac Enzymes Measured: A Case Study
Tony's heart attack led to cardiac enzyme tests that revealed the extent of his damage and guided his treatment plan.
18th February 2010
Are You at Risk of Heart Disease?
Check your heart disease risk by looking at smoking, weight, alcohol use and other lifestyle factors that matter.
18th February 2010
I Had to Have a Pacemaker Fitted: A Case Study
Tim's heart was beating dangerously slowly, leading to a sudden collapse at work and an emergency hospital admission for a pacemaker.
17th February 2010
Why No Multaq for the UK?
NICE has rejected the atrial fibrillation drug Multaq for NHS use despite it being approved in Europe, leaving a million UK patients without access.
17th February 2010
Living with Angina: A Case Study
How Geoff discovered he had angina after noticing chest tightness during his daily commute and what tests revealed.
17th April 2009
Facts and Figures: Heart Disease in the UK
Heart disease kills 200,000 people yearly in the UK, with someone dying from a heart attack every six minutes.
16th April 2009
I Had a Heart Attack: A Case Study
Jane collapsed from a heart attack on a busy motorway and was saved by a nurse and first aider in the traffic behind her.
16th April 2009
Facts and Figures: Heart Disease Worldwide
Heart disease kills 17 million people yearly worldwide, with most deaths occurring in lower-income countries, not wealthy nations.
15th April 2009
My Cholesterol Was Sky High: A Case Study
A fit and healthy woman discovers her cholesterol is dangerously high despite excellent diet and regular exercise habits.
15th April 2009
I Lost a Friend to Sudden Death Syndrome: A Case Study
A 29-year-old mother collapsed during a gentle exercise class and died, leaving her family to understand what happened and why.
9th April 2009