All Heart health Articles

Recent headlines reported that the drug Crestor cut nearly in half the number of heart attacks and strokes even in people with low cholesterol. The results sounded so good, people may have been tempted to run out and ask their doctor for a prescription. The news is good, but local doctors caution that the implications apply only to people who are already at elevated risk for heart attack Read more...

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- People in their 30s and 40s who got less sleep at night were more likely to develop the early buildup of plaque in the arteries of their heart, according to a new study. The study is the first to link an objective measure of the duration of a person's sleep to an established method for assessing the risk of coronary artery disease, a CT scan that measures calcification in Read more...

Liposuction may provide a quick fix to reduce waist size but the loss of weight may not help the heart, U.S. researchers advise. Dr. Amit Khera, who directs the University of Texas Southwestern program in preventive cardiology, says belly fat, or waist circumference, is more closely associated than other distributions of fat with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. However, Read more...

NEW YORK -- Offering yet another reason to never start smoking, a new study finds that both current and former smokers run an elevated risk of the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation. The condition, also known as AF, is the most common heart arrhythmia in the United States, affecting about 2 million people. During an episode of AF, abnormal electrical activity in the heart causes Read more...

Dec. 29 -- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., yet a wealth of data shows female cardiac patients receive inferior medical care compared with men. Too many physicians still discount the idea that a woman could be suffering from heart disease, delaying or denying needed medical interventions, experts note. Most community hospitals in the U.S. still are not Read more...

Quick ... what time of the year are you at highest risk of a heart attack? Believe it or not, it's now. Some studies indicate that death rates from heart attacks and stroke as well as non-heart-related causes spike during the holiday season. "It is not uncommon to see a heavier congestion in the hospital during the Christmas and New Year's period of time. Some years that's very true, Read more...

Women in the sandwich generation who live in a household of three generations triple their odds of serious heart disease, Japanese researchers said. The study assessed the long-term impact on health of domestic living arrangements among nearly 91,000 Japanese men and women ages 40 and 69. None of the study participants had been diagnosed with any serious illness, such as cancer, heart Read more...

A few lucky people have a gene that protects the heart from the effects of fatty food, research suggests. The discovery could lead to new treatments for heart disease, scientists believe. U.S. investigators studied the DNA of more than 800 members of the Old Order Amish community, who are genetically similar and whose ancestry is easily traced. About 5 percent of the volunteers from Read more...

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. researchers have identified the specific pathway through which binge drinking contributes to clogged arteries, according to a new study. Binge drinking-related levels of acetaldehyde make immune cells called monocyctes more likely to stick to blood vessel walls and cause inflammation that contributes to blood vessel blockage -- atherosclerosis, said the Read more...

NEW ORLEANS -- It took five mighty shocks to get Cynthia Crawford's heart to start beating again after she collapsed at Ochsner Clinic a few weeks ago. A dramatic rescue, to be sure, yet it was routine care she could have had at any hospital. What came next, though, was not. As she lay unconscious, barely clinging to life, doctors placed her in an inflatable cocoon-like pool that sprayed her Read more...

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- What's the biggest difference between the male heart and the female heart? Apparently, how it's treated in an emergency. A new study by the Mayo Clinic reveals disturbing evidence of higher mortality and lower surgery rates in women versus men with mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve prolapse occurs when the leaflets and supporting cords of the mitral valve of the heart Read more...

Estrogen replacement therapy could accentuate pre-existing heart disease risk factors and a heart health evaluation should be the norm, U.S. researchers say. Lead researcher MaryFran Sowers of the University of Michigan School of Public Health showed that in women without existing atherosclerosis, hormone therapy use included some positive effects on lipids but also some negative effects Read more...

High-tech heart scans fail in some cases to detect artery blockages and at other times can misidentify blockages that don't exist, a study found. The study provoking debate among cardiologists indicates further that the more invasive, standard testing procedure is not ready to be replaced by the newer technology, researchers say. Researchers said in this week's New England Journal Read more...

What is the healthiest snack you can eat? What if this snack has also been proven to help reduce your risk of heart disease? Even better, it would help curb hunger pangs and even help reduce weight. Some interesting new research suggests the very best food you can nibble in between meals -- and especially after a meal -- is the almond nut. Actually all form of nuts qualify, though Read more...

CHICAGO – Older adults who take the diabetes medication rosiglitazone appear to have a higher risk of death and heart failure than those taking the related medication pioglitazone, according to a report in Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In 1997, a new class of oral medications known as thiazolidinediones expanded the available options for diabetes Read more...

CHICAGO -- Do you test your blood pressure at home? Maybe you should. Continuously measuring blood pressure may help predict heart disease among those with treatment-resistant hypertension, while blood pressure readings taken in a medical office do not appear to predict future heart risks, according to a report in Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. About 10 Read more...

MAYWOOD -- The temperature might not be the only thing plummeting this winter. Many people also will experience a decrease in their vitamin D levels, which can play a role in heart disease, according to a new review article in Circulation. Vitamin D deficiency results in part from reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is Read more...

Do you often feel burnt out? Everyone faces mental stress to some extent each day. Rush-hour traffic, anger, worry, frustration, deadlines, sour relationships, pressure -- all are part of urban life. Some amount of stress can surely keep you motivated although excessive pressure may result in stress. Research studies have shown that mental stress is worse than physical stress as it can Read more...

Turn on that radio! A new study reveals that listening to your favorite music may be good for your cardiovascular system. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have shown for the first time that the emotions aroused by joyful music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function. Music, selected by study participants because it made them feel good and brought Read more...

NEW ORLEANS - Have a pacemaker or an implanted defibrillator? Don't keep your iPod earbuds in your shirt pocket or draped around your neck -- even when they're disconnected. A study finds that some headphones can interfere with heart devices if held very close to them. They might even prevent a defibrillator from delivering a lifesaving shock, say doctors who tested them. Read more...