A major study shows that the wrist is the best way to a clogged heart. In the United States, about 1 million angioplasties are routinely performed each year by threading a tube to the heart through an artery in the groin. These invasive procedures restore blood flow to a clogged artery. But now, doctors have discovered that entering through the wrist will reduce bleeding and eliminate the discomfort caused by lying flat for hours while the incision site seals up.

As heart health is a priority for African Americans—45 percent of us suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease—the latest research casts a new light on treatment. While this technique isn’t for everyone—only one in 100 is performed this way—studies of this kind may encourage more surgeons to use this specific method. “This approach, when done by experienced operators, has advantages,” says Sydney Smith, MD, heart disease chief at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Learn more about heart health at americanheart.org.