Heart Health

Top Stories

• Study: Statins, Certain Antibiotics Don't Mix
  Doctors should avoid ordering certain antibiotics for older patients who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Lipitor, Canadian researchers say. Statins, which are taken by many millions of people, don't mix well with the antibiotics clarithromycin or...
• New Blood Thinner Promises to Stop Clots Without Causing Bleeding
  British scientists have won early financial backing for a new kind of anticoagulant drug they believe may prevent dangerous blood clots without causing bleeding - a previously unachievable goal. Index Ventures, working with GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson Johnson via an...
• Sugar Overload Stresses Heart: Study
  Addicted to sugar? A new study finds that eating too much sweet stuff will not only contribute to weight gain but can set people down a pathway to heart failure. A single small molecule, the glucose metabolite glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) -- which accumulates from eating too...
• Irregular Heartbeat Triggered by Air Pollution: Study
  For people with existing heart problems, exposure to high levels of air pollution can trigger the irregular heartbeats that may lead to a stroke or heart attack, according to a new study.Past research has linked air pollution to ventricular fibrillation, electrical...
• Docs' Group to Consider Directive Against Sitting All Day
  Sitting in front of a computer monitor all day may soon be officially against doctors' advice. The American Medical Association, which represents 225,000 doctors in the U.S. and recommends ways to improve public health and medical care, will consider whether to recognize...
• Mayo Tests First Stem Cell Heart Treatment
  The Mayo Clinic has launched the nation's first stem cell clinical trial for pediatric congenital heart disease to determine whether cells taken from umbilical cord blood can help children with a rare defect.
• Sleep Apnea Hikes Sudden Cardiac Death Risk
  Sleep apnea raises the risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a long-term study that strengthens a link doctors have suspected. The presence and severity of sleep apnea are associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death, said study leader Dr....
• Vitamin D Lowers Blood Pressure
  Low levels of vitamin D can trigger high blood pressure, according to a new study that suggests fortifying more foods with the nutrient could lower cardiovascular disease rates.
• Surgeons Favor Wrist-to-Heart Route Over Groin
  As they attempt to open clogged heart arteries, more U.S. doctors are taking a new route and threading a catheter through the wrist, rather than the groin, a new study finds. This is because entering the radial artery in the wrist is linked to fewer bleeding complications...
• Poor Sleep Worsens Heart Woes in Women: Study
  Poor sleep appears to contribute to the progression of heart disease in women by raising their inflammation levels, but this effect was not seen in men, researchers say. Inflammation is a well-known predictor of cardiovascular health, lead author Aric Prather, a clinical...
• Alzheimer's Drugs Also Benefit Heart
  Drugs used to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease may also reduce patients' risk of heart attack and death, according to a new study. Researchers followed more than 7,000 Alzheimer's disease patients in Sweden for more than three years. Those taking cholinesterase...
• Aspirin Proves Effective as Prescription Blood Thinners
  Aspirin appears to be just as good as more expensive, more potent blood-thinning medication for preventing blood clots after hip replacement surgery, according to new research.
• Statins Tied to Dislocations, Muscle Strains and Sprains
  People taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol may slightly increase their risk for muscle and joint diseases as well as strains and sprains, a new study suggests. Statins, such as Zocor and Lipitor, are widely used to reduce cholesterol levels and help prevent...
• High Doses of Common Painkillers Hike Heart Risks
  Long-term high-dose use of painkillers such as ibuprofen or diclofenac is equally hazardous in terms of heart attack risk as use of the drug Vioxx,which was withdrawn due to its potential dangers, researchers said on Thursday. Presenting the results of a large...
• Sitting Is the New Smoking
  The latest research on the health effects of prolonged sitting is enough to keep you from ever parking your behind in a chair again. From promoting obesity to hiking risk of diabetes and heart disease, to increasing our overall chances of dying earlier, sitting is killing...
• Sunny Vacations Really Are Good for Your Heart
  Here s good motivation to go ahead and book that holiday somewhere warm: A new Scottish study finds that cold, rainy weather can raise your blood pressure. Researchers from Glasgow University say that blood pressure varies with temperature, since blood vessels near the...
• Mondays, Mornings Best Times for Heart Care
  Patients hospitalized for heart failure appear to have better odds of survival if they're admitted on Mondays or in the morning, a new study finds. Death rates and length of stay are highest among heart failure patients admitted in January, on Fridays and overnight,...
• CoQ10 Found to Cut in Half Heart Failure Death Rate
  Regular doses of the dietary supplement Coenzyme Q10 cut in half the death rate of patients suffering from advanced heart failure, in a randomized double-blind trial.Researchers also reported a significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations for heart failure patients...
• Antidepressant Found to Help Heart Condition: Study
  Use of the antidepressant Lexapro appears to help prevent a potentially serious stress-related heart condition, a new study finds.The condition is known as known as mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia. Although people with this condition may not develop noticeable...
• Should You Exercise With a Defibrillator?
  Although people with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are often advised to avoid activities more strenuous than golf or bowling, new research suggests that many people with these heart devices can participate in more vigorous sports. But, the decision to...
• Having a Heart Attack? There’s an App for That
  There are apps that turn your smartphone into a metal detector and a GPS system, and now there's an app that may help doctors save your life if you're having a heart attack.
• Smartphone Can Raise Blood Pressure: Study
  Forget salt and hot movie stars. New research into what raises blood pressure has found a surprising culprit that may contribute to hypertension: smartphone use.
• Popular Statin Found to Cut Exercise Benefits
  New research shows a popular cholesterol-lowering drug, typically prescribed to prevent heart disease, may actually hinder the positive benefits of exercise among obese and overweight adults.
• Heart Attacks Often Happen Within 2 Hours of Temper Tantrum: Study
  Bottling up emotions is thought to harm both mind and body, but a new study suggests that the opposite extreme may be no better. In a study of thousands of heart attack patients, those who recalled having flown into a rage during the previous year were more than twice as...
• Healthy Lifestyle Offsets Job-Related Heart Risk
  Job stress can boost your risk of heart disease, but a new study finds that living a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce that risk. To reach their findings, researchers analyzed data from more than 102,000 adults, aged 17 to 70, in the UK, France, Belgium, Sweden...

More Heart Health Stories