Heart Disease

Heart disease is the narrowing or blockage of the arteries and vessels that provide oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the heart. It is caused by atherosclerosis, an accumulation of fatty materials on the inner linings of arteries that restricts blood flow. When the blood flow to the heart is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack because the heart is starved of oxygen.

Heart Disease - most related articles:

- Stress may condition heart to survive heart attack - 2.3
- New CRT therapy prevents heart failure - 2.2
- Eating broccoli may help fight heart disease - 2.2
- Heart stem cells grow into heart muscles - 2.1
- More teen women battling heart disease - 2.1
- Music reduces stress in heart disease patients - 2
- Former US President Bill Clinton turns to vegan diet - 2

Heart Disease articles

Blood pressure is to be checked in both arms
Measuring blood pressure in both the right and left arm may be an effective way of catching a silent but serious disease of the blood vessels - peripheral artery disease. So, next time you get your blood pressure checked, ask your health provider to take measurements on both arms.

Evacetrapib can increase good cholesterol HDL
Researchers at Cleveland Clinic reported that administration of a new drug– evacetrapib – can dramatically increase HDL (good) cholesterol, while significantly lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol). At the highest tested dosage, the levels of HDL more than doubled.

Yearly visit to dentist can reduce heart attack risk
Tooth scaling at least once a year reduced heart attack and stroke risks. Professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer heart attacks and strokes in a study from Taiwan presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

Sugar sweetened drinks may increase heart risk in women
Drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day may expand a woman's waistline and increase her risk of heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers compared middle-aged and older women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day, such as carbonated sodas or flavored waters with added sugar, to women who drank one or less daily.

Financial reimbursement increases cardiac stress tests in patients
Financial reimbursement and ownership of cardiac imaging equipment appears to influence physicians' use of cardiac stress testing. The study finds that doctors who are reimbursed for both performing the test using their equipment and then interpreting the results were 50 to 100 percent more likely to order cardiac imaging tests on their patients than those who don't bill the fees.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement TAVR shows superiority in heart patients
A two-year study of patients in the landmark PARTNER trial, which compared transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in patients who have severe aortic stenosis and are not candidates for open heart surgery, confirm the one-year findings and support the role of TAVR as the standard of care.

Burmese python heart growth may benefit diseased human heart
Now, Burmese python's heart may diseased human hearts, revealed by researchers from University of Alabama, USA. Three fatty acids involved in the extreme growth of Burmese pythons' hearts following large meals could prove beneficial in treating diseased human hearts.

Expandable prosthesis resolves advanced aortic valve disease
Among individuals 65 years and older, as many as 30 percent have aortic valve sclerosis or stenosis and as a result of their deteriorating health, they cannot enjoy a normal lifestyle.

Former US President Bill Clinton turns to vegan diet
Former US President Bill Clinton is speaking out about his plant based, heart healthy diet, saying that he believes the vegan regimen or vegan diet is helping to reverse the damage to his heart and blood vessels caused by cardiovascular heart disease.

Rivaroxaban can prevent strokes in atrial fibrillation patients
Rivaroxaban, an anti-clotting drug, was shown to be an attractive alternative to warfarin in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, revealed by researchers recently.

Chantix increases risk of heart attack or arrhythmia
Smoking cigarettes is a dangerous habit that many are struggling to break, but for the smokers who choose to use one of the most popular smoking cessation drugs on the market, new warnings about the risk of serious cardiovascular events are on their way. Use of varenicline – marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Chantix – is associated with a 72 percent increased risk of hospitalization due to a serious adverse cardiovascular (CV) event, such as heart attack or arrhythmia.

Low body fat may not lower risk for heart disease and diabetes
Researchers revealed that some people with a specific form of the gene are more likely to have lower percent body fat, but also more likely to develop heart disease and type 2 diabetes, because the gene lowers only the "subcutaneous" fat under the skin, but not the more harmful "visceral" fat that surrounds organs. People with this gene variant are less able to store fat safely under the skin and may, therefore, store fat elsewhere in the body, where it may interfere with normal organ function.

Surgical removal of tonsils and appendix may lead to heart attack
The surgical removal of the appendix and tonsils before the age of 20 was associated with an increased risk of premature heart attack in a large population study performed in Sweden. Tonsillectomy increased the risk by 44% (hazard ratio 1.44) and appendectomy by 33% (HR 1.33).

New form of cholesterol revealed in people at high risk of heart disease
Scientists from the University of Warwick have discovered why a newly found form of cholesterol seems to be 'ultra-bad', leading to increased risk of heart disease. The discovery could lead to new treatments to prevent heart disease particularly in people with type 2 diabetes and the elderly.

Niacin and statin treatment did not protect heart
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has stopped a clinical trial studying a blood lipid treatment 18 months earlier than planned.

1 in 5 young adults has high blood pressure - hypertension
The number of young adults in the United States with high blood pressure may be much higher than previously reported, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Master switch gene for obesity and diabetes discovered
A team of researchers, led by King's College London and the University of Oxford, have found that a gene linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels is in fact a 'master regulator' gene, which controls the behaviour of other genes found within fat in the body.

Coronary artery bypass graft surgeries decreasing in US
Between 2001 and 2008, the annual rate of coronary artery bypass graft surgeries performed in the United States decreased by more than 30 percent, but rates of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI; procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stent placement used to open narrowed coronary arteries) did not change significantly.

Low sodium excretion linked to higher heart disease incidence
In a study conducted to examine the health outcomes related to salt intake, as gauged by the amount of sodium excreted in the urine, lower sodium excretion was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, while higher sodium excretion did not correspond with increased risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease complications.

A better imaging agent for heart disease and breast cancer
Scientists are reporting development of a process for producing large quantities of a much-needed new imaging agent for computed tomography (CT) scans in heart disease, breast cancer and other diseases, and the first evidence that the material is safe for clinical use.

HIV infection may be a risk factor for heart failure
Patients with HIV infection without a prior history of coronary heart disease may be at a higher risk of developing heart failure, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Tai chi may improve quality of life in chronic heart failure patients
Tai chi, the ancient Chinese meditative exercise, may improve quality of life, mood and exercise self-efficacy in chronic heart failure patients, according to research led by a team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Higher education or advanced degrees lower blood pressure in women
Freshmen on the eve of finals and graduate students staring down a thesis committee may not feel this way, but the privilege of obtaining an advanced education correlates with decades of lower blood pressure, according to a study led by a public health researcher at Brown University. The benefit appears to be greater for women than for men.

High fiber diet may lead to a healthy longer life
Dietary fiber may be associated with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious and respiratory diseases, as well as a reduced risk of death from any cause over a nine-year period.

Stroke rate declined in middle aged, elderly, increased in young
The number of acute ischemic stroke hospitalizations among middle-aged and older men and women fell between 1994 and 2007, but sharply increased among those under age 35 - including teens and children - according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011.

Large eggs lower in cholesterol and higher in vitamin D
Eggs are lower in cholesterol than previously thought, according to new nutrition data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS).

CRT-D more effective in women with heart failure
Women receive a significantly greater benefit – a 70 percent reduction in heart failure and a 72 percent reduction in death – from cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) than men, revealed by US researchers.

Skin cells converted to beating heart cells
Adult skin cells are converted into beating heart cells efficiently without generating embryonic-like stem cells, revealed by researchers.

Statins not for low risk patients
There is not enough evidence to recommend the widespread use of statins in people with no previous history of heart disease, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review.

Walking 3000 steps every day reduces diabetes risk
Simply taking more steps every day not only helps ward off obesity but also reduces the risk of diabetes, finds a study published in BMJ UK.

Rheumatoid arthritis increases heart attack risk 60%
The risk of having a heart attack is 60 per cent higher just a year after a patient has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Recurrent miscarriage raises heart attack risk
Recurrent miscarriage increases a woman's chance of having a heart attack fivefold in later life, indicates research published online in the journal Heart.

Binge drinking may increase heart disease risk
Belfast's binge drinking culture could be behind the country's high rates of heart disease, according to a paper published on bmj.com today.

Mandatory curbs on food salt content 20 times effective
Imposing statutory limits on the salt content of processed foods could be 20 times more effective than voluntary curbs by industry, finds research published online in the journal Heart.

Chest compression approach better after cardiac arrest
Chest compressions before defibrillation in patients with sudden cardiac arrest is equally successful as immediate treatment with an electrical defibrillator, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System.

Heart's sounds can help diagnose heart failure
For emergency department patients with shortness of breath and a risk of heart failure, physicians usually grab one thing first: a stethoscope.

95 genetic variants linked to cholesterol, triglycerides
Researchers have discovered or confirmed 95 regions of the human genome where genetic variants are associated with blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which are major indicators of heart disease risk.

Folic acid and vitamin B12 have no beneficial effects in heart disease
A new study revealed that the substantial long-term reductions in blood homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation did not have beneficial effects on vascular outcomes but were also not associated with adverse effects on cancer incidence.

Cancer risks in blood pressure medicines
University Hospitals Case Medical Center cardiologists have uncovered new research showing an increased risk of cancer with a group of blood pressure medications known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs).

Long term use of heartburn drugs linked to fractures
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers and health care professionals about a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with high doses or long-term use of a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors.

More good cholesterol is not always good for health
We've all heard about the importance of raising HDL, or the so-called "good" cholesterol, and lowering LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, to improve heart health. While we've come to assume HDL cholesterol is an inherently good thing, a new study shows that for a certain group of patients, this is not always the case.

Supercomputer can predict heart attack
EPFL Laboratory of Multiscale Modeling of Materials, in Switzerland, has developed a flowing 3D model of the cardiovascular system that should allow for predictions of certain heart diseases before they become dangerous.

A new drug may reduce inflammation and atherosclerosis
A clinical study directed by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif of the Montreal Heart Institute confirms the potential of a medication to reduce inflammation in patients with atherosclerosis.

Ablation heart procedure reduces risk of Alzheimer and stroke
Researchers found that ablation treatment can eliminate serious risks associated with atrial fibrillation. New research was presented at National Heart Rhythm Society.

Eating nuts improve blood cholesterol levels
Consuming more nuts appears to be associated with improvements in blood cholesterol levels, according to a pooled analysis of data from 25 trials reported in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Chocolate reduces blood pressure and heart disease risk
Easter eggs and other chocolate may be good for you – at least in small quantities and preferably if it's dark chocolate – according to research that shows just one small square of chocolate a day can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Walnuts may help fight prostate cancer
Scientists in California are reporting for the first time that walnuts - already renowned as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that fight heart disease - reduce the size and growth rate of prostate cancer in test animals.

Replacing saturated fat with PUFA is good for the heart
The replacement of dietary saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces coronary heart disease events, bringing much needed scientific evidence to an issue debated by experts and clinical guidelines.

Extreme obesity affecting more children at 10 - 12 years of age
Extreme obesity is affecting more children at younger ages, with 12 percent of black teenage girls, 11.2 percent of Hispanic teenage boys, 7.3 percent of boys and 5.5 percent of girls now classified as extremely obese.

Safely reduce BP in patients with diabetes and heart disease
New study revealed that there is an increased risk of heart attack and stroke for patients having blood pressure either too high or too low. Systolic blood pressure above 120 in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease is safer. Levels between 130 and 140 appear to be the most healthful.

Soluble fiber boosts immune system and immunity
Soluble fiber - found in oats, apples, and nuts, for starters reduces the inflammation associated with obesity-related diseases and strengthens the immune system, revealed by researchers.

HbA1c accurately predicts future diabetes
Measurements of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) more accurately identify persons at risk for clinical outcomes than the commonly used measurement of fasting glucose, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Obese kids show early warning signs for future heart disease
Obese children as young as 3 years old have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation that in adults is considered an early warning sign for possible future heart disease, revealed by researchers.

Exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms by 20 percent
The anxiety that often accompanies a chronic illness can chip away at quality of life and make patients less likely to follow their treatment plan. But regular exercise can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, a new University of Georgia study shows.

Flexibility at work boosts employee health
Giving employees more flexibility over their work schedules is likely to boost their health as judged by measures like blood pressure and stress, revealed by researchers.

Migraine may double risk of heart attack
People with migraine may be at an increased risk of heart attack and other risk factors for heart disease, according to a study published in the February 10, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Women with gout at greater risk of heart attack
Women with gout are at greater risk of a heart attack than men with the disease, indicates research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Catheter treatment works better than drugs for heart rhythm disorder
Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, according to a landmark study published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Copper may lead to Alzheimer's disease in older
A new study linked high levels of copper and iron to Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and other age-related disorders. The report is published in ACS' Chemical Research in Toxicology.

Bisphenol A linked to heart disease in adults
Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter, UK, have found more evidence for a link between Bisphenol A exposure (BPA, a chemical commonly used in plastic food containers) and cardiovascular disease.

Cooling may benefit children after cardiac arrest
When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient's life may be saved but their brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient's body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.

Breastfeeding protects women from metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease
Breastfeeding a child may lower a woman's risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome, a condition linked to heart disease and diabetes in women, according to a Kaiser Permanente study.

Youth with type 1 diabetes linked to insulin resistance
Youth with type 1 diabetes have now been found to have abnormal insulin resistance. Having abnormal insulin resistance appears to negatively affect heart, blood vessel and exercise function in this population.

Glucose intolerance in pregnancy may lead to heart disease
Women who have gestational glucose intolerance (a condition less severe than gestational diabetes) exhibit multiple cardiovascular risk factors as early as three months after birth.

Aspirin may protect from AMD vision loss
Low dose Aspirin may offer mild protection from age related Macular degeneration (AMD), revealed by researchers.

High salt intake linked to stroke and heart disease
Eating high amounts of salt is linked to a significantly higher risk of strokes and cardiovascular disease, states a paper published today in the British Medical Journal.

Vioxx trial data shows early heart risk
US researchers revealed that the heart complications after taking Vioxx, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (rofecoxib), could have been identified nearly four years before its manufacturer Merck pulled the drug from the market.

Prevalence of bad cholesterol levels decreases in US
Between 1999 and 2006, the prevalence of adults in the U.S. with high levels of LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, decreased by about one-third, revealed by US researchers. But a high percentage of adults still are not being screened or treated for high cholesterol levels.

Atherosclerosis, heart disease found in Egyptian mummies
Atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries has been detected in Egyptian mummies, some as old as 3,500 years, suggesting that the factors causing heart attack and stroke are not only modern ones; they afflicted ancient people, too.

Statin and BP drug combo ALL prevents heart attack and stroke
Low-cost drugs – a cholesterol-lowering statin and a blood pressure-lowering drug – as daily doses to 68,560 people with diabetes or heart disease for two years is estimated to have prevented 1,271 heart attacks and strokes.

Many Australian heart patients not receiving best practice care
Many people are not receiving the best possible care when it comes to managing cardiovascular or heart conditions, revealed by researchers.

Public smoking bans reduce heart attacks
Public smoking bans appear to significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, particularly among younger individuals and nonsmokers, revealed by researchers in a new study.

Routine use of aspirin not supported
The routine use of aspirin for the prevention of vascular events in people with asymptomatic disease cannot be supported, according to results from the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis (AAA) study.

Anticoagulant Dabigatran effective in atrial fibrillation patients
The anticoagulant dabigatran is more effective than warfarin in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, revealed by researchers in a study RE-LY (Randomized Evaluation of Long-term anticoagulant therapY).

Hopelessness increases stroke risk in women
Healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness appear to experience thickening of the neck arteries, which can be a precursor to stroke, revealed by researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Gene variant linked to effectiveness of plavix
Patients with a certain genetic variation and who received the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel -- Plavix -- had a decreased platelet response to treatment, revealed by researchers.

Oxycholesterol cholesterol may pose greatest heart disease risk
Health-conscious people know that high levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the so-called "bad" cholesterol) can increase the risk of heart attacks.

Popcorn has highest levels of healthy antioxidants
Snack foods like popcorn and many popular breakfast cereals contain "surprisingly large" amounts of healthful antioxidant substances called "polyphenols", revealed by researchers at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Sleep apnea increases risk of death
Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of death from any cause in middle-aged adults, especially men, revealed by researchers.

An apple a day keeps kidney stones away
Researchers have found another reason to eat well: a healthy diet helps prevent kidney stones. The study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

Stress may lead to obesity and heart disease
Social stress could be an important precursor to heart disease by causing the body to deposit more fat in the abdominal cavity, speeding the harmful buildup of plaque in blood vessels, a stepping stone to the number one cause of death in the world.

US children low in vitamin D
Seven out of ten U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, raising their risk of bone and heart disease, according to a study of over 6,000 children by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

Treating obesity with brown fat in the body
Researchers have shown that they can produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. If such a strategy can be developed for use in people, it could open a novel approach to treating obesity and diabetes.

Divorce undermines health, illness lingers after remarriage
Divorce and widowhood have a lingering, detrimental impact on health, even after a person remarries, research at the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University shows.

Agent Orange exposure linked to heart disease and Parkinson's disease
A new report from the Institute of Medicine finds suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War is associated with an increased chance of developing ischemic heart disease and Parkinson's disease for Vietnam veterans.

New iPS therapy pioneered for heart attacks
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be used to treat heart disease, revealed by researchers at Mayo Clinic, USA. iPS cells are stem cells converted from adult cells.

Genes linked to blood pressure in African-Americans
Five genetic variants related to blood pressure -- hypertension -- in African-Americans, revealed by a team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health, USA.

Heart bypass surgery with traditional approach is better
Endoscopic devices commonly used to harvest vein grafts for coronary artery bypass surgery may result in poorer outcomes than traditional vein harvesting techniques, revealed by researchers.

Obesity threshold lowered for Indians
Obesity is generally linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease conditions. Considering the facts, health experts lowered the threshold for being overweight or obese in India.

Walking, biking linked to fewer heart disease risk factors
Men and women who walk or ride a bike to work appear more fit, and men are less likely to be overweight or obese and have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels.

Women who drink moderately may have lower heart disease risk
Women who drink moderately may have a lower risk of heart diseases (cardiovascular disease - CVD) and death from CVD in part because of how alcohol affects the body's processing of fats and sugar in the blood.

Rapamycin may extend lifespan of older
Rapamycin extended the expected lifespan of middle-aged mice by 28 percent to 38 percent, revealed by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Statins may cause muscle damage in some patients
Structural muscle damage may be present in patients who have statin-associated muscle complaints, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Sanofi's Multaq approved to treat heart rhythm disorder, US
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Sanofi's Multaq tablets (dronedarone) to help maintain normal heart rhythms in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (heart rhythm disorders or arrhythmia).

Nuts and peanut butter may reduce heart attack risk
Taking nuts and peanut butter in the diet reduced the risk of a heart attack in women with type 2 diabetes, revealed by researchers at Harvard Medical School. They analyzed the diets of 6309 women over a period of 12 years.

New CRT therapy prevents heart failure
Implanted cardiac resynchronization therapy device with defibrillator (CRT-D) reduced a 29 percent reduction in heart failure or death in patients with heart disease, revealed by researchers.

Heart disease mortality decreased 30% in Canada
Hospital admissions and mortality for heart diseases (cardiovascular disease) declined 30% over a 10-year period in Canada, revealed by canadian researchers.

$6M for medical isotope alternatives, Canada
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced that the Government of Canada is supporting research to find alternatives to nuclear-produced Technetium-99m, the principal medical isotope affected by the current shutdown at the Chalk River nuclear reactor.

Red yeast rice reduce cholesterol in statin intolerant
Red yeast rice capsules reduce cholesterol LDL (low density lipoprotein) levels in statin intolerant patients without causing any adverse events such as muscle pain and weakness, revealed by researchers.

Psoriasis linked to increased heart disease risk
Psoriasis skin disease is associated with atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque in the arteries) characterized by an increased prevalence of ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease and an increased risk of death, revealed by researchers.

100 Heart Disease articles listed above.

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What is Heart Disease
Heart disease is the narrowing or blockage of the arteries and vessels that provide oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the heart. It is caused by atherosclerosis, an accumulation of fatty materials on the inner linings of arteries that restricts blood flow. When the blood flow to the heart is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack because the heart is starved of oxygen.

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