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Statins: Are these cholesterol-lowering drugs right for you

Find out whether your risk factors for heart disease make you a good candidate for statin therapy. Statins are drugs that can lower your cholesterol. They work by blocking a substance your body needs to make cholesterol. Statins may also help your body reabsorb cholesterol that has built up in plaques on your artery walls, preventing further blockage in your blood vessels and heart attacks. Statins include medications such as atorvastatin (Lipicure, Storvas), pitavastatin (Pivasta) rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). Lower-cost generic versions of many statin medications are available. Already shown to be effective in lowering cholesterol, statins may have other potential benefits. But doctors are far from knowing everything about statins. Are they right for everybody with high cholesterol? What kinds of side effects may occur? Can statins help prevent other diseases? Should you be on a statin? Whether you need to be on a statin depends on your cholesterol level...

Heart Disease and Congestive Heart Failure

Heart Disease and Congestive Heart Failure Heart failure, sometimes known as congestive heart failure, occurs when your heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Certain conditions, such as narrowed arteries in your heart (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure, gradually leave your heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump efficiently. Not all conditions that lead to heart failure can be reversed, but treatments can improve the signs and symptoms of heart failure and help you live longer. Lifestyle changes — such as exercising, reducing salt in your diet, managing stress and losing weight — can improve your quality of life. What Is Heart Failure? Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart's pumping power is weaker than normal. With heart failure, blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and pressure in the heart increases. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and...

International Yoga Day

Dr.Rajiv Passey is available on ABP News from 7 am to 9 am on International Yoga Day. He will be discussing the benefits of Yoga on Cardiovascular Health.

Cardiac Pacing