The term “heart attack” is kind of a misnomer. Nothing actually attacks your heart. So, what really happens during a heart attack? 

In a nutshell, a coronary artery becomes blocked. This prevents blood from flowing to the heart, and as a result your heart muscle is damaged. 

The medical term is myocardial infarction. "Myo" means muscle. "Cardial" refers to the heart. "Infarction" means tissue death due to lack of blood supply. Myocardial infarction and heart attack mean the same thing. 

More than 42 million American women live with some form of cardiovascular disease, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and it's the leading cause of death among American women, according to the American Heart Association. But many aren’t getting the exercise they need to help prevent complications like heart attack and stroke. In fact, the number of women who aren’t physically active is quite high and growing, according to a study in JAMA Open Network.

Join us as we continue to celebrate MDVIP's Year of Cardiovascular Health. 

Together we will explore the importance of consuming an antioxidant rich diet that can help to improve our cardiovascular health. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when your body breaks down food that play a role in heart disease.

You and your guests are invited to relax with us while we learn about the antioxidant benefits of wine and dark chocolate. We will also sample some dark chocolate and wine. 

For decades, the advice on dietary fat was clear – steer clear of saturated fat, the type commonly found in meats, whole-fat dairy products and coconuts. But over the last few years, that advice regarding no-dairy diets has been turned on its head. Coconut oil is now considered healthy. Many doctors now think you should replace margarine with butter for dairy-related health benefits.

What Women Really Need to Know About Heart Disease

Ask women what health issue is more likely to kill them and a majority think they should be most concerned about breast cancer, not heart disease or having a heart attack. They’re then surprised to hear that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States today and is more deadly than all cancers combined.

A 43-year-old Israeli flight attendant recently contracted measles, leading to encephalitis (brain inflammation) and a coma. While a measles outbreak is currently affecting nearly half of U.S. states, most people being infected haven’t been vaccinated. What’s different about the Israeli flight attendant? She had been inoculated against measles.

How did she get the measles? She only received one of the two recommended inoculations, leaving her susceptible to the virus.

Put down your fork and listen: Eating a heart-healthy diet isn’t hard. It might seem confusing with all the “eat-this, not-that” magazine articles, fad diets and best-selling nutrition books, but here’s all you really need to know: The Mediterranean, Ornish and DASH diets are the best diets for heart health. Following one of these three well-researched and proven heart-healthy eating plans (detailed below) can help you lower your heart disease risk. Don’t invest another bite into a fad diet. Instead, chew on this:

When it comes to heart health, eating like an American probably isn’t your best bet. That’s because our diets are high in unhealthy fats, processed foods and lots of carbs. But one diet in particular always gets highlighted by researchers and health experts: the Mediterranean diet.

If you’re like most Americans, you probably have a good idea on what types of exercise is good for your heart: running, swimming, bicycling. In short, cardiovascular exercise – and lots of it.

But you may be surprised to learn that strength training may actually be better for your heart. Here are the truths behind five common heart disease and exercise misconceptions that can help provide better protection for your heart.

Americans love fried food. About 33 percent of American adults eat fast-food, usually fried, every day. Fried chicken, Buffalo wings, fried fish, French fries, tacos and tortillas — it's a long list and heavy in America's favorite foods.