Heart Disease News & Features
The Hidden Killer That Routine Checkups Can Miss
- New Drug Promises More Accurate Diagnosis for Heart Disease
September 30, 2024 — The injectable tracer, Flyrcado, could help doctors flag deadly coronary artery disease in patients during imaging tests.
- How’s Your Handshake? Grip Strength Is a Good Gauge of Health
September 18, 2024 — Grip strength, as it turns out, can be a reliable measurement of overall health – even an indicator of the potential health of your heart and blood vessels.
- Many People on Statins May Not Need Them
June 27, 2024 — More than 45 million Americans are considered eligible to take statins drugs to prevent heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
- Essential Nutritional Counseling After Heart Attacks Misses Many
June 21, 2024 — In a new study, researchers found that fewer than 1 in 4 patients received any nutritional counseling within 90 days of being hospitalized for a heart attack, cardiac bypass, congestive heart failure, or a stint. Here's what to know.
- Most U.S. Adults Will Have Heart Problems By 2050: Report
June 4, 2024 — By 2050, more than 6 in 10 U.S. adults will have cardiovascular disease, according to a new projection by the American Heart Association.
- Fish Oil Supplements Linked to First-Time Heart Problems
May 22, 2024 — Fish oil, one of the most widely used dietary supplements, may pose heart health risks to otherwise healthy people. Here's what to know.
- Heart-Liver Surgery May Help Patients Get Onto Transplant List
Patients with both heart and liver diseases are usually turned away from organ transplant lists. A new dual procedure aims to give them another chance.
- This Heart Attack Hits Young Women, But Doctors Often Unaware
April 16, 2024 — SCAD accounts for 1 in 3 acute heart events in younger women. Many doctors are not aware it exists.
- Lower-Income Americans at Higher Risk of Death From Excess Salt
April 2, 2024 — Lower-income communities often have less access to fresh, healthy food, leaving convenience stores and fast food as the primary sources of food.
- Is Intermittent Fasting Bad For Your Heart? What to Know
Early research has suggested that if you have heart disease, intermittent fasting may raise the risk of death from heart disease, drawing skepticism from experts and cautions from the researchers themselves.
- Is the Faith in Aspirin to Prevent Cardiac Events Warranted?
March 6, 2024 — There’s a disconnect between the millions of people who take aspirin to ward off cardiovascular events and what the evidence shows.
- All Marijuana Users Face Heart Health Risks, New Report Says
February 28, 2024 — Based on people’s self-reported experience of cardiovascular problems, the study revealed that any use of cannabis was linked to a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke, even if people had never used tobacco.
- Excess Vitamin B3 Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease
February 20, 2024 — Taking a B vitamin supplement that contains niacin could put people at an increased risk of heart disease, according to a new study in the journal Nature Medicine.
- Automated External Defibrillators Save Lives, If You Use Them
February 20, 2024 — All airports in the U.S. – and other public places where large groups tend to gather – are required by law to have AEDs. They are often red and kept in a white metal box attached to a wall.
- Taking ED Drugs and Chest Pain Medications Poses Risk, Study Says
January 16, 2024 — A new study suggests that men who take drugs commonly prescribed for erectile dysfunction and nitrates for chest pain have an increased risk of heart failure, early death and other negative outcomes.
- Timing of Meals Can Affect Risk of Heart Disease, Study Finds
January 3, 2024 — The timing of daily meals could affect the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to a large European study published in Nature Communications.
- Protect Yourself: Cardiac Deaths Spike in Winter Weather
January 2, 2024 — Research shows that cardiac deaths increase by nearly 5% from Dec. 25 until Jan. 7. For those who already have a higher risk of a cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke, stress brought on by the holidays can push matters to a breaking point.
- Is Drinking Ever Good for Heart Health?
December 13, 2023 — The scope of the literature sends a clear message: If you don’t drink, don’t start now. And if you do drink, keep it to moderate levels.
- Study: Vegan Diet Has Positive Effect in Just 8 Weeks
December 4, 2023 — People who ate a vegan diet improved their health after just eight weeks compared to a control group that ate meat during that period, a study published in JAMA Network Open shows.
- Study: Even Sleeping Is Better for Heart Health Than Sitting
November 14, 2023 — Adults are so sedentary that simply replacing a few moments of sitting with any type of activity, including sleeping and standing, can improve cardiovascular health.
- Taking Obesity Drug Wegovy May Reduce Heart Attack, Stroke Risk
November 13, 2023 — People with heart disease who took the weight loss medicine Wegovy were significantly less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, results of a much anticipated study show.
- Study: Cutting 1 Teaspoon of Salt As Good As Blood-Pressure Meds
November 13, 2023 — Cutting your salt intake by 1 teaspoon daily provides the same blood-pressure-lowering benefits as popular hypertension medications, says a new study published in JAMA Network.
- New Evidence Further Links Mental Health, Stress to Heart Health
November 7, 2023 — People with depression, anxiety, or long-term stress have a higher risk of heart problems, two new studies show. The findings are more evidence of the mind-heart connection, showing how poor brain health can open pathways to cardiovascular disease, which is the top cause of death in the nation.
- AI Might Help Prevent Sudden Cardiac Death, Research Says
November 7, 2023 — Artificial intelligence could help predict and even prevent sudden cardiac death through analyses of electronic health records, new research says.
- Marijuana Use Dramatically Increases Risk of Heart Problems, Stroke
November 6, 2023 — Regularly using marijuana can significantly increase a person’s risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke, according to a pair of new studies that will be presented at a major upcoming medical conference.
- Extreme Heat Could Increase Number of Cardiovascular Deaths
October 30, 2023 — Cardiovascular deaths caused by extreme heat could double and possibly triple by mid-century in the United States if something isn’t done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the American Heart Association said.
- ‘CKM Syndrome’ Gives New Name to Multi-System Heart Disease Risk
October 10, 2023 — A newly named condition gives people a way to refer to being affected by obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease at the same time.
- Take the Stairs to Reduce Your Heart Disease Risk: Study
October 10, 2023 — Climbing at least five flights of stairs daily can reduce the risk of two deadly types of heart disease.
- Work Stress Raises Men’s Risk of Heart Disease, Study Reports
September 20, 2023 — Job-related stress increases men’s risk for heart disease, according to a new report from the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
- Research Casts Doubt on Value of Daily Aspirin for Healthy Adults
July 27, 2023 — Daily use of low-dose aspirin offers no significant protection against stroke and was linked to a higher rate of bleeding in the brain, according to new research published in JAMA.
- More People Die of Heart Attacks When Heat, Pollution Spike
July 25, 2023 — A new study suggests 3 of every 100 people who die of heart attacks may have survived if they had not been impacted by high levels of air pollution during a heat wave.
- Heart Disease Risk May Spike Risk for Muscle, Joint Problems
June 27, 2023 — New research suggests people who are at high risk of heart disease are significantly more likely to develop disorders of the muscles and joints.
- New Heart Transplant Method Could Boost Donor Pool By 30%: Study
June 9, 2023 — A recently developed way to perform heart transplants works as well as the traditional method and – if widely embraced -- could greatly increase the number of hearts available for transplant, doctors at Duke University say.
- Heart Attack Adds 6 Years to Brain Age: Study
May 31, 2023 — New research indicates that having a heart attack eventually leads to faster mental decline that is the equivalent of adding 6 years to the age of the brain.
- Donor Hearts From Patients With COVID Tied to Lower Survival
May 23, 2023 — Heart transplantation centers need to thoroughly evaluate and continue to weigh the risks and benefits of using hearts from active COVID-19 donors because they may offer worse outcomes for the recipients, researchers say.
- Women Twice as Likely to Be Re-hospitalized After Heart Attack
May 3, 2023 — Women under 55 are twice as likely as men to be hospitalized again within a year after a heart attack, the National Institutes of Health reported this week.
- Mediterranean, Low-Fat Diets Are Best for Heart Problems: Study
March 30, 2023 — For people with problems with their heart and blood vessels, a Mediterranean or low-fat diet can reduce the chances of dying early and of having a nonfatal heart attack, a detailed new study shows.
- Study Confirms Heart Disease Can Begin Without Symptoms
March 28, 2023 — New research suggests many adults might have latent heart disease before any symptoms show up.
- Living Near Heavy Traffic Noise Raises Blood Pressure
March 23, 2023 — Traffic noise from horns, engines, and sirens can raise the blood pressure of people who live near it, according to a study from Great Britain published in the journal JACC: Advances.
- Mediterranean Diet Greatly Reduces Heart Disease Risk in Women
March 17, 2023 — Those who closely followed a Mediterranean diet had a 24% lower risk of heart disease and 23% lower risk of death overtime compared with those following other kinds of diets.
- Keto Diet Doubles the Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke: Study
March 6, 2023 — Keto diets can more than double the risk of serious heart problems, a new study shows.
- New Treatment Could Fix Heart’s ‘Forgotten Valve’
March 6, 2023 — A new procedure could help with the problem of leaking tricuspid valves in the heart, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
- Irregular Sleep Tied to Increased Heart Disease Risk
February 24, 2023 — Irregular sleep, such as sleeping for an inconsistent number of hours each night or falling asleep at different times, may increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, among adults over age 45, a new study suggests.
- Playing Golf May Be Good for Your Heart
February 7, 2023 — A new study says playing 18 holes is just as good, and maybe better, as brisk walking for cardiovascular health in older adults.
- U.S. Heart-Related Deaths Jumped During First Year of Pandemic
January 27, 2023 — Cardiovascular-related deaths increased dramatically in 2020, marking the largest single-year increase since 2015 and surpassing the previous record from 2003, according to the 2023 Statistical Update from the American Heart Association.
- Lessons From a Two-Time Heart Attack Survivor
January 20, 2023 — Channing Muller had her first attack when she was 26 years old. A vegetarian for a decade and a recreational runner, this shocked both her and her doctors.
- How to Help a Loved One With Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease can be a life-changing condition. Here’s how one man helped a friend through his diagnosis.
- Mindset Strategies for Peripheral Arterial Disease
Years after he quit smoking, Jim Stocker woke up with a "leg attack." Here’s how he walked through pain and misdiagnosis to get on better footing with peripheral arterial disease.
- When PAD Is an Emergency
If you have peripheral artery disease (PAD), you need to be aware of signs of these medical emergencies.