Heart Disease

Healthy hearts are adaptable, and heartbeats exhibit complex variation as they adjust to tiny changes in the body and environment. Researchers have applied a new way to measure the complexity of pulse rates, using data collected through wearable pulse oximetry devices. The new method provides a more detailed peek into heart health than traditional measures, uncovering a link between reduced complexity and future cognitive decline.

People who are given a vaccine for shingles have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease, according to a recent study of more than a million people. The protective effect of the vaccine lasts for up to eight years and is particularly pronounced for men, people under the age of 60 and those with unhealthy lifestyles.

The Haenyeo, a group of all-female divers from the Korean island of Jeju, are renowned for their ability to dive in frigid waters without the aid of breathing equipment -- even while pregnant. A study shows that the divers' remarkable abilities are due to both training and genetic adaptation, including gene variants associated with cold tolerance and decreased blood pressure. The divers also showed pronounced bradycardia, or slowing of the heart rate, when they dived, but this trait is likely due to a lifetime of training, not genetics.

Researchers have developed a revolutionary new way to find out the 'true age' of your heart using MRI. A new study shows how an MRI scan can reveal your heart's functional age -- and how unhealthy lifestyles can dramatically accelerate this figure. It is hoped that the findings could transform how heart disease is diagnosed -- offering a lifeline to millions by catching problems before they become deadly. The team say their cutting-edge technique is a 'game changer'.

Every second counts when it comes to detecting and treating heart attacks. A new technology may be able to identify heart attacks faster and more accurately than traditional methods.

Childhood trauma significantly increases the likelihood of engaging in harmful alcohol consumption, smoking and illicit drug use, by the age of 18.

Investigators have discovered a new pathway that may lead to a treatment for high blood pressure and aortic aneurysms. By creating a new laboratory model for studying these conditions, the team treated hypertension and aortic aneurysms by targeting a protein that they discovered to be involved in the vascular cells' response to oxidative stress.

An automated machine learning program has been able to identify potential cardiovascular incidents or fall and fracture risks based on bone density scans taken during routine clinical testing.

Daily exposure to certain chemicals used to make plastic household items could be linked to more than 356,000 global deaths from heart disease in 2018 alone, a new analysis of population surveys shows. While the chemicals, called phthalates, are in widespread use globally, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bore a much larger share of the death toll than others -- about three-fourths of the total.

For almost 60 years, measuring cholesterol levels in the blood has been the best way to identify individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease. In a new study, researchers have shown comprehensively that a combination of two lipoprotein markers, measured in a simple blood test, can give more accurate information about individual risk of heart disease than the current blood cholesterol test, potentially saving lives.

Persistently high blood sugar and insulin resistance significantly increased the risk of worsening functional and structural heart damage during growth from adolescence to young adulthood, a new study shows.

Researchers have developed a new therapy that can be injected intravenously right after a heart attack to promote healing and prevent heart failure. The therapy both prompts the immune system to encourage tissue repair and promotes survival of heart muscle cells after a heart attack. Researchers tested the therapy in rats and showed that it is effective up to five weeks after injection.

A simple consultation during unrelated visits to the emergency room can help patients with high blood pressure -- 'the silent killer' -- manage the condition, even before they experience symptoms, according to new research.

Having a larger waistline, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of young-onset dementia, according to a new study. Young-onset dementia is diagnosed before the age of 65. The study does not prove that metabolic syndrome causes young-onset dementia, it only shows an association.

The molecular mechanism behind why heart attacks can vary in severity depending on the time of day has been uncovered, potentially paving the way for innovative treatments that align with the natural circadian rhythm.

A small study found that fatty buildup in the blood vessels of the neck (carotid arteries) may contain 50 times or more micronanoplastics -- minuscule bits of plastic -- compared to arteries free of plaque buildup.

Oral hormone therapy may benefit heart health in menopausal women. A new analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative found that estrogen-based oral hormone therapy had a long-term beneficial effect on biomarkers of cardiovascular health, including cholesterol.

Among adults ages 18-49 (median age of 41 years) who were born with a hole in the upper chambers of their heart known as patent foramen ovale (PFO), strokes of unknown cause were more strongly associated with nontraditional risk factors, such as migraines, liver disease or cancer, rather than more typical factors such as high blood pressure.

A new study could lead to more widespread use of imaging technique to improve survival and prevent complications.

People with a certain heart valve abnormality are at increased risk of severe heart rhythm disorders, even after successful valve surgery. The condition is more common in women and younger patients with valve disorder and can, in the worst case, lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

An international team of researchers has discovered a natural mechanism that protects the heart from heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a serious condition in need of effective treatment. The team reports that when the cardioprotective mechanism fails, it promotes the development of HFpEF. Importantly, restoring the mechanism prevents the progression of the condition. The findings provide a promising therapeutic target to prevent and treat this life-threatening disease.

New research suggests increasing the ratio of dietary potassium to sodium intake may be more effective for lowering blood pressure than simply reducing sodium intake.

Healthy sleep includes multiple components, such as number of hours of sleep per night, how long it takes to fall asleep, daytime functioning and self-reported sleep satisfaction, and addressing these different dimensions of sleep may help to reduce cardiometabolic health and related risk factors, according to a new scientific statement.

Patients who receive an add-on medication soon after a heart attack have a significantly better prognosis than those who receive it later, or not all, new research suggests.

Researchers have developed an AI tool that creates synthetic yet medically accurate models of fibrotic heart tissue (heart scarring), aiding treatment planning for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. The study could lead to more personalized care for patients affected by this common heart rhythm disorder.

Researchers have developed a handheld device that could potentially replace stethoscopes as a tool for detecting certain types of heart disease.

New research has uncovered a surprising culprit underlying cardiovascular diseases in obesity and diabetes -- not the presence of certain fats, but their suppression. The study challenges the conventional belief that a type of fat called ceramides accumulates in blood vessels causing inflammation and health risks. Instead, their findings reveal that when ceramides decrease in endothelial cells lining blood vessels, it can be damaging and cause chronic illnesses. Ironically, the findings could ultimately lead to therapies that maintain high levels of these protective lipids in patients with obesity.

A new study has found that medications for ADHD have overall small effects on blood pressure and heart rate after weeks or a few months of use. There have been concerns about the side effects of ADHD medications but the new findings, coupled with other studies, suggest that the benefits of taking these medications outweigh the risks, while highlighting the need for careful monitoring.

Parkinson's doesn't just affect movement and the brain -- it may also impact the heart, according to new research. Scientists suggest that targeting a key protein outside of the brain could help manage Parkinson's-related heart issues.

There are over six million Americans with heart failure who are at greater risk of losing their cognitive abilities earlier in life, a study suggests. Global cognition and executive functioning declined more rapidly over the years after heart failure diagnosis, as people with the condition mentally aged the equivalent of 10 years within just seven years of a heart failure diagnosis.

When we move, it's harder for existing wearable devices to accurately track our heart activity. But researchers found that a starfish's five-arm shape helps solve this problem. Inspired by how a starfish flips itself over -- shrinking one of its arms and using the others in a coordinated motion to right itself -- scientists have created a starfish-shaped wearable device that tracks heart health in real time.

A trial of 648 patients found that the new automated method and intervention strategy resulted in nearly four times as many diagnoses and treatment plans for high blood pressure compared with traditional office-based health care visits.

New research reveals that lower proportions of specific sleep stages are associated with reduced brain volume in regions vulnerable to the development of Alzheimer's disease over time.

New findings indicate that while the rate of marathon runners who suffer cardiac arrests remained unchanged, their chance for survival is twice what it was in the past. Now, far fewer marathon runners who suffer cardiac arrest are dying of it.

People who have early signs of heart problems may also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis does not prove that early heart problems cause loss of brain cells; it only shows an association.

Compared with those who spent most of their time in a single room, people with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) who were able to travel outside of their home without assistance were significantly less likely to be hospitalized or die within a year, according to a new study. The findings underscore the value of supporting holistic care and encouraging people with heart failure to maintain an active lifestyle and engage with others in their community to the extent possible, researchers said.

A scientific technique that rapidly increases the body's production of anti-inflammatory cells promoted healing from heart attacks in mice, according to a new study. Once adapted to treat humans, the technique could potentially be used to repair heart muscle damage after a heart attack and be applied to a variety of inflammatory disorders.

Many youth have heart disease risk factors by their late teens, and preventing or addressing these risks early may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the future, according to a new scientific statement.

Tiny fragments of plastic have become ubiquitous in our environment and our bodies. Higher exposure to these microplastics, which can be inadvertently consumed or inhaled, is associated with a heightened prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases, according to new research.

In addition to causing several types of cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) appears to bring a significantly increased risk of heart disease and coronary artery disease, according to a new study.

Mammograms, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) models, may reveal much more than cancer, according to a new study. The findings highlight how these important cancer screening tools can also be used to assess the amount of calcium buildup in the arteries within breast tissue -- an indicator of cardiovascular health.

A new study reveals that encapsulated heating methods, an often-used heat simulation method, significantly increase heart rates and cardiac strain compared to natural heat exposure like those experienced during hot weathers. Understanding how extreme heat impacts heart function is crucial for developing effective strategies to protect vulnerable groups, especially as global temperatures continue to rise.

Women with blood pressure levels in a range considered clinically normal during pregnancy but no mid-pregnancy drop in blood pressure face an increased risk of developing hypertension in the five years after giving birth. These women -- about 12% of the population studied -- would not be flagged as high-risk by current medical guidelines, but the new findings could help identify them as candidates for early intervention.

Marijuana is now legal in many places, but is it safe? Two new studies add to mounting evidence that people who use cannabis are more likely to suffer a heart attack than people who do not use the drug, even among younger and otherwise healthy adults. The findings are from a retrospective study of over 4.6 million people and a meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies.

Lifestyle and health factors that are linked with heart disease appear to have a greater impact on cardiovascular risk in women than men.

Researchers have created an AI tool to accelerate the development of new disease treatments and demonstrated its potential by identifying an existing drug with the potential to prevent deadly heart failure.

Researchers focused on Myotonic Dystrophy 1 heart problems are testing a novel approach to restore normal function.

Patients who have been treated for heart failure and experience an improvement of their pump function, are still at higher risk of heart-related death or hospitalization if they stop taking heart failure medications.

New hope offered by a pharmacy team for treating heart disease by sharing insights into the fundamental process of how the heart is formed in utero.

Researchers have revealed a new scientific clue that could unlock the key cellular pathway leading to devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A sedentary lifestyle such as watching TV (two or more hours daily) may be a key factor in the risk of developing heart and blood vessel diseases, according to an analysis of health records from a large biomedical database.

In developing hearts, cells shuffle around, bumping into each other to find their place, and the stakes are high: pairing with the wrong cell could mean the difference between a beating heart and one that falters. A study demonstrates how heart cells go about this 'matchmaking' process. The researchers model the intricate movements of these cells and predict how genetic variations could disrupt the heart development process in fruit flies.

Struggling to afford food today could mean heart problems tomorrow. Young adults experiencing food insecurity have a 41% greater risk of developing heart disease in midlife, even after accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, according to a new study. Food insecurity -- struggling to get enough nutritious food to stay healthy -- affects one in eight households in the U.S. each year.

The discovery of a novel approach to promote cardiomyocyte proliferation offers new hope for the treatment of ischemic heart failure.

The discovery of a novel approach to promote cardiomyocyte proliferation offers new hope for the treatment of ischemic heart failure.

Research shows that a common type of diabetes medication could help cancer patients make a better long-term recovery. Many cancer patients go on to develop heart failure -- because of the cancer itself and also due to chemotherapy. But a study shows that a type of diabetes drug, called an SGLT2 inhibitor, may help protect the heart during and after cancer treatment. The medication has been shown to be beneficial in reducing heart failure or heart failure hospitalisation in cancer patients and survivors.

Some people living with chronic stress have a higher risk of stroke, according to a new study. The study looked at younger adults and found an association between stress and stroke, with no known cause, in female participants, but not male participants. This study does not prove that stress causes stroke; it only shows an association.

Researchers have successfully observed early vascular changes in stroke using an innovative photoacoustic technique.

A new study of more than 2,900 patients provides evidence that it's likely best to use as little corticosteroid medicine as possible when treating people who have lupus pericarditis, a common heart complication of the autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).

Coronary artery disease (CAD), or the narrowing of the coronary arteries, is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque in the arteries, develops when low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) enters the blood vessel walls through dysfunctional endothelial cells (EC), leading to the formation of plaques. Researchers developed a polygenic risk score that examines genes associated with EC function to identify individuals with higher CAD risk.