Millions of older adults take medications every day, convinced they are protecting their health. However, some of the most common drugs may be having the opposite effect on the body, especially the heart.

The problem is that the damage doesn’t always appear as chest pain or obvious heart attacks. Often, it manifests as fatigue, dizziness, swelling, palpitations, or shortness of breath—symptoms that are often attributed to aging when they may actually be related to medications.

Below, we review five types of pills that deserve special attention regarding the heart health of older adults.

5. Commonly Used Anti-Inflammatory Pain Reliever

These are widely used to relieve discomfort in the knees, back, hips, and joints. Many older adults take them almost daily without knowing that they can raise blood pressure and promote fluid retention.

When the body retains fluids, the heart has to work harder to pump blood, leading to progressive wear and tear. Over time, swelling may appear in the legs, along with shortness of breath when lying down and fatigue when walking.

Natural alternative: Turmeric, combined with a small amount of black pepper, has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce pain gradually without straining the cardiovascular system. It should be used judiciously, and you should always consult your doctor if you are taking blood thinners or have upcoming surgery.

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My 9-year-old daughter baked 300 Easter cookies for the homeless — the next morning, a stranger showed up at our door with a briefcase full of cash. My daughter, Ashley, has always had a heart too big for her chest. Since my wife died, we’ve barely been making ends meet. We spent everything we had trying to save her from cancer. But when Easter came this year, Ashley told me she’d been saving up her own money to buy ingredients. “For the homeless,” she said. Her mom used to be one of them. She was thrown out by her parents when they found out she was pregnant with Ashley. When I met her, she had nothing — but she had the brightest smile and the sharpest mind I had ever seen. I fell in love with her. I took her and Ashley in. And from that moment on, Ashley became my daughter in every way that matters. So when Ashley said she wanted to help people like her mom once was… I didn’t stop her. For three nights straight, after school and homework, she baked. Her little hands worked nonstop. She found her mom’s old cookie recipe. She rolled every piece of dough herself. She decorated every cookie. She made three hundred cookies. On Easter, she handed them out one by one. She looked people in the eyes. She wished them a Happy Easter. Some of them smiled. Some of them cried. I stood there thinking it was the proudest moment of my life. I thought that was the end of it. The next morning, I was washing a mountain of dishes when the doorbell rang. I opened the door. An older man stood there in a worn-out suit, holding a scratched aluminum briefcase. His eyes were locked on Ashley. Before I could ask anything, he set the case down and opened it. I froze. Stacks of hundred-dollar bills — more money than I had ever seen in my life. “I saw what your daughter did yesterday,” he said, his voice shaking. “I want to give all of this to her.” My heart skipped. Then he added: “But you have to agree to ONE CONDITION.” My chest tightened. “What condition?” I asked. He stepped closer. He lowered his voice. And what he asked for in return made my blood run cold.