Heart Health News & Features

For participants who adopted a plant-based diet high in fruit juices, refined grains, potatoes and sweets, the risk of death jumped 11 percent.

Those who ate energy-rich breakfasts -- consuming at least a fifth of their daily calories at the breakfast table -- had significantly less buildup of fatty plaque and stiffness in their arteries, compared to people who had a less caloric breakfast or skipped breakfast altogether, said a team led by Dr. Sotirios Tsalamandris.

Over a 6-year period, researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston found 30 patients having cancer treatment fit the criteria for broken heart syndrome.

Attending cardiac rehab is associated with improved sexual function and more frequent sex, according to a new evidence review.

The 'import alert' from the FDA against Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals comes after a series of recalls for valsartan heart and blood pressure drugs that include ingredients made by ZHP.

But new research involving 24,000 U.S. adults suggests milk and milk-derived products don't pose the dire health risks suggested by prior research, and maybe those old warnings should be relaxed.

Target blood pressure for people in the United States is now 130/80, according to the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

A review of popular diet trends by a panel from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) finds that omega-3 fats and legumes (including beans, lentils and peas) have good evidence of heart benefits. Coffee and tea, meanwhile, are reasonable choices -- just hold the cream and sugar. And full-fat dairy foods should probably be avoided.

Add protection from heart disease and stroke to the health benefits of marriage.

Those who had exercised two to three times a week for at least a half-hour a day for many years had more "youthful" -- that is, less stiff -- middle-sized arteries, the researchers found.

The best choices are oily fish with large doses of omega-3 fatty acids. The options include salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, herring and sardines.

The findings suggest efforts in recent years to close gender gaps in the use of recommended treatments after a heart attack have failed, according to the researchers.

Eating lots of vegetables may help older women keep their blood vessels healthy, with the biggest benefit from cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli.

The study found the daily pill can reduce the risk for heart failure-related hospitalization and death in people who have both conditions.  However, it also found that a daily aspirin raises their risk for nonfatal heart attack and stroke.

On either diet, participants lost about 3 pounds of body fat and about 4 pounds of weight overall. They also had similar decreases in body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight.

However, the study researchers are concerned that the fat migration could pose a problem for people who already have heart issues.

Millions of people take fish oil supplements, hoping to benefit from the omega-3 fatty acids they contain. And the American Heart Association recommends omega-3 fatty acids supplements for people with a history of heart disease.

On average, the study found, sauna users saw a drop in blood pressure and artery "stiffness" immediately after their heat bath. They also showed an increase in heart rate that was similar to the effect from moderate exercise.

People in their 50s and early 60s can regain the heart health of someone decades younger through a regular and reasonable aerobic exercise program, no matter how long they've been inactive, the study authors said.

Powerful magnetic fields created during an MRI scan were thought to play havoc with some pacemakers, but a new study says these scans are safe for people with the heart devices.

Five simple health indicators can evaluate a healthy person's risk of heart damage from clogged arteries without drawing blood for medical tests, a new study finds.

Researchers evaluated five dietary patterns. They found that people who ate a plant-based diet most of the time had a 42 percent lower risk of developing heart failure over four years than those who ate fewer plant-based foods.

Sexual activity very rarely causes cardiac arrest, a new study reports.

A decline in the pumping ability of an older person's heart can lower blood flow to their brain's memory center, new research has found.

A new study suggests that the placebo effect of stents in heart patients with chest pain may be far more pronounced than thought.