Cardiovascular Health News

An international team of researchers, led by Emory University clinician scientists, has found evidence that people suffering from moderate to severe cases of restless legs syndrome (RLS) are at significantly increased risk for developing hypertension. RLS, a common and debilitating sleep disorder, adversely affects the lives of tens of millions of people worldwide. The study … [Read more...]

A study published in The American Journal of Medicine reveals that a whole diet approach, which focuses on increased intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish, has more evidence for reducing cardiovascular risk than strategies that focus exclusively on reduced dietary fat. This new study explains that while strictly low-fat diets have the ability to lower cholesterol, … [Read more...]

Having an occasional drink is fine, but "binge" drinking is a known health hazard and now high blood pressure may need to be added to the list of possible consequences. Young adults in their twenties who regularly binge drink have higher blood pressure which may increase the risk of developing hypertension, concludes a study conducted by researchers at the University of … [Read more...]

People who drink wine, liquor or beer regularly are less prone to heart failure and heart attacks than those who rarely or never drink. Three to five drinks a week can be good for your heart. Drinking a little alcohol every day may be part of a healthy lifestyle, according to Imre Janszky, a professor of social medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology … [Read more...]

In a study published in the European Heart Journal, an Umeå research team has shown that physical fitness in your teens can reduce the risk of heart attack later in life, while men who are fit and obese in their teens run a higher risk of having a heart attack than unfit, lean men. In the study, Gabriel Högström, Anna Nordström and professor at the Department of Community … [Read more...]

People with restless legs syndrome (RLS), especially the elderly, may be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in the April 10, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, conducted at the University of Montreal's Sacré-Coeur Hospital, ten people with untreated RLS … [Read more...]

A daily supplement of an extract found in tomatoes may improve the function of blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. The incidence of cardiovascular disease varies worldwide, but is notably reduced in southern Europe, where a 'Mediterranean diet' consisting of a larger consumption of fruit, … [Read more...]

  A multicenter study that previously reported a reduction in heart attack and stroke with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or with nuts now also reports a lower risk of peripheral artery disease, according to a study in the January 22/29 issue of JAMA. The hypothesis that a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of peripheral artery … [Read more...]

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a condition that causes a person’s heart to beat out of rhythm. It can cause severe discomfort and may even be a risk factor for stroke. Now, cardiologists are now turning to robotic technology to treat patients. Joyce Liptrap is an avid scrap-booker who loves saving memories of her active life. But it wasn’t so active two years ago when … [Read more...]

Many cardiac implantable electronic device models currently in use were approved via a Food and Drug Administration review process in which the models were assumed safe and effective based on approval of prior versions of the device, according to a study in the January 22/29 issue of JAMA. "In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews high-risk … [Read more...]

While stroke occurrences have been on a consistent decline in the United States since the early 1900s, more women are still dying from them than are men. To aid in curbing these deaths, first-of-their-kind stroke-prevention guidelines for women have been released with the help of one University of Alabama at Birmingham expert. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death for … [Read more...]

A University of California, San Diego School of Medicine study finds that weight loss programs that provide healthy fats, such as olive oil in the Mediterranean diet, or a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet have similar impacts on pound-shedding. More specifically, the researchers report that a meal plan rich in walnuts, which are high in polyunsaturated fats, has a significant … [Read more...]

It's National Heart Month -- a good time to think more deeply about your health and how to make heart-healthy lifestyle choices. "More people know about heart health now than they did 20 years ago," said Dr. Gretchen Wells, Director of Women's Heart Health at the Gill Heart Institute. "But we still have a lot of work to do, especially with women, whose symptoms can be different … [Read more...]

Treatment with progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone that has been shown to alleviate severe hot flashes and night sweats in post-menopausal women, poses little or no cardiovascular risk, according to a new study by the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health. The findings, published today in PLOS ONE, help to dispel a major impediment to widespread … [Read more...]

Having shingles may increase the risk of having a stroke years later, according to research published in the January 2, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After people recover from chickenpox, the virus … [Read more...]

Like the name suggests, sudden cardiac arrest can come on without warning and is a leading cause of death for adults over the age of 40. For people who may be at risk, doctors may suggest an implantable defibrillator. Now, there’s a new option that can automatically restart a person’s heart — without touching it. Two years ago Randy Fisher was recovering from double knee … [Read more...]

A first-of-its-kind study found that young blacks, age 45, are at a three times greater risk of having a first stroke than their white counterparts. However, they may not be at a higher risk for the second stroke. George Howard, DrPH, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health professor, recently published key findings from his ongoing research of the … [Read more...]

Bradycardia -- a slower than normal heartbeat -- does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study is published in the Jan.19 online edition of the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine. "For a large majority of people with a heart rate in the 40s … [Read more...]

Residents of high-rise buildings had better survival rates from cardiac arrests if they lived on the first few floors, and survival was negligible for people living above the 16th floor, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) "As the number of high-rise buildings continues to increase and as population density rises in major urban … [Read more...]

Scientists at the University of Leicester have demonstrated for the first time the mechanism by which the level of sugar in your blood can affect the contraction of blood vessels, with potentially dangerous effects on the heart and blood pressure. Researchers led by Dr Richard Rainbow from the University's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences have shown that blood vessels … [Read more...]

Eating foods that contain vitamin C may reduce your risk of the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 66th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, April 26 to May 3, 2014. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papaya, peppers, broccoli and strawberries. … [Read more...]

Although survival rates for people who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital are extremely low in most places, emergency physicians propose three interventions to improve survival rates and functional outcomes in any community and urge additional federal funding for cardiac resuscitation research in an editorial published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine. "As a … [Read more...]

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a staple of modern day medicine in which cardiologists place a stent in a blood vessel around the heart in order to restore blood flow in people with heart disease. Blood thinners allow for the procedure to be completed with a reduced risk of certain complications such as clots. In 2015, a potent intravenous blood thinner, cangrelor, … [Read more...]

Researchers at Wayne State University have discovered a potential way to improve the lipid profiles in patients undergoing hemodialysis that may prevent cardiovascular disease common in these patients. Patients undergoing hemodialysis for kidney failure are at a greater risk for atherosclerosis, a common disease in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. Atherosclerosis can … [Read more...]

Symptoms of mild to minimal depression were associated with early indicators of heart disease in a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, but the study found regular exercise seems to reduce the adverse cardiovascular consequences of depression. Depression has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other physical … [Read more...]

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages every day was associated with an increase in a particular type of body fat that may affect diabetes and heart disease risk, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. Data from the Framingham Heart Study -- federally supported, ongoing research that has advanced the understanding of cardiovascular … [Read more...]

New findings show that many Americans are at risk for high blood pressure because of too much sodium in our diets -- and the risk is especially high for children. The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings show that about eight out of every 10 children ages 1 to 3 are at risk for high blood pressure, and the risk goes up with age: … [Read more...]

Three-hundred-thousand people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. It happens when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions and blood stops pumping. A study from the American Heart Association shows African Americans are more likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest than Caucasians; but one family refused to be another statistic. It can happen in a matter of … [Read more...]

Researchers from New Zealand's University of Otago have uncovered evidence that sugar has a direct effect on risk factors for heart disease, and is likely to impact on blood pressure, independent of weight gain. Research Fellow with Otago's Department of Human Nutrition Dr Lisa Te Morenga, Professor Jim Mann and colleagues have conducted a review and meta-analysis of all … [Read more...]

Women who go through menopause early -- at ages 40 to 45 -- have a higher rate of heart failure, according to a new study published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Smoking, current or past, raises the rate even more. Research already pointed to a relationship between early menopause and heart disease -- usually … [Read more...]