A CT coronary calcium score is a quick, non-invasive scan that measures how much calcium has built up in the walls of the arteries that supply your heart. Calcium in these arteries is a marker of atherosclerosis, the gradual build-up of fatty plaque that causes most heart attacks. The scan takes a few minutes, needs

Feelings of anxiety and restlessness are, in the great majority of cases, caused by stress, worry, or an anxiety condition rather than anything wrong with the heart. But there is an important overlap that often causes confusion. The physical sensations we recognise as anxiety, such as a racing heart, restlessness, a tight chest, and a

Sweating is a normal and essential function that helps the body regulate its temperature, and most of the time it has an obvious and harmless cause such as heat, exercise, a fever, or feeling anxious. But sweating can also be an important warning sign of a heart problem, particularly when it comes on suddenly, without

An ECG Holter monitor is a small, portable device that continuously records the electrical activity of your heart over an extended period, usually 24 to 48 hours, while you go about your normal daily life. It works on exactly the same principle as a standard ECG performed in clinic, but instead of capturing a few

Poor circulation means blood is not flowing as freely as it should to parts of the body, most often the legs, feet, and hands. It is commonly noticed as cold extremities, numbness or tingling, cramping pain in the legs when walking, or changes in skin colour. While mild poor circulation is often harmless and related

A transoesophageal echocardiogram, usually shortened to TOE, is a detailed ultrasound scan of the heart taken from inside the oesophagus, the food pipe, which lies directly behind the heart. A thin, flexible tube with a small ultrasound probe on its tip is gently passed down the throat, in a similar way to a gastroscopy, so

Fluid retention, known medically as oedema, is the build-up of excess fluid in the body’s tissues, most often noticed as swelling in the ankles, feet, and lower legs. In many cases it is harmless and has a simple explanation such as standing for long periods, hot weather, a salty meal, or a long flight. But

High cholesterol means having too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol itself is not harmful. Your body needs it to build cells, make hormones, and produce vitamin D. The problem arises when there is too much of the wrong type circulating in the bloodstream, because over time it builds up

Brain fog and confusion are usually caused by things that have nothing to do with the heart, such as poor sleep, stress, dehydration, an underactive thyroid, certain medications, or simply doing too much. But the brain depends entirely on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood, and it receives around 15 percent of everything the heart

Cardiomyopathy is a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle itself, changing how it contracts, relaxes, or conducts electrical signals. The word simply means disease of the heart muscle (the myocardium). In practical terms, cardiomyopathy makes it harder for the heart to pump blood efficiently around the body, either because the muscle becomes enlarged