Heart Disease

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.

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.

A new AI model can flag female patients who are at higher risk of heart disease based on an electrocardiogram (ECG).

Identifying and treating risk factors for depression, anxiety and other psychological health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum may improve short- and long-term health outcomes for both mother and child, according to a new scientific statement.

Shared decision-making between clinicians and athletes of all ages who have cardiovascular abnormalities and want to participate in competitive sports is essential, according to a new joint scientific statement.

One in five older adults gets an infection up to six months after heart surgery, and women are far more likely to develop one, according to recent studies. Black patients also had higher rates of overall infection compared to white patients. Researchers say estimates of postoperative infections are likely vastly underestimated.

A new study demonstrates life-saving benefits of consistent exercise.

A new study suggests that the benefits of prescribing anticoagulation drugs to certain older people outweigh the potential risks.

In a surprising discovery, scientists have found that the heart possesses 'sweet taste' receptors, similar to those on our tongues, and that stimulating these receptors with sweet substances can modulate the heartbeat. This research opens new avenues for understanding heart function and potentially for developing novel treatments for heart failure.

New research shows sotagliflozin is the only drug in its class to demonstrate these results.

Testosterone treatment significantly reduces mortality among men with Klinefelter syndrome. Researcher calls for changes in guidelines to ensure more patients receive the necessary treatment.

A multi-institutional research team found that tricaprin, a natural supplement, improved long-term survival rates in patients with triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy, a new type of heart disease characterized by impaired triglyceride breakdown in heart and smooth muscle cells. Tricaprin improved clinical symptoms and long-term survival. Studying the effects of tricaprin on patients of different ethnicities would be an ideal next step to gather more evidence in favor of the drug.

The test, which is not yet widely available, is being developed so that it can eventually be used at the point-of-care.

South Asian adults in the United Kingdom may face high blood pressure-related heart risks earlier in life, while East Asian adults see risks rise in later years, according to a new study.

Analysis could lead to future therapies to prevent deadly cardiac events.

Patients aged between 50 to 70 years with a mechanical heart valve replacement had better long-term survival compared to those with a biological valve, new research has found.

Newborns with heart complications can rely on their newly developed immune systems to regenerate cardiac tissues, but adults aren't so lucky. After a heart attack, most adults struggle to regenerate healthy heart tissue, leading to scar-tissue buildup and, often, heart failure. A new study in experimental animals reveals a critical difference in how macrophages -- a part of the immune system -- help repair the heart in newborns versus adults after a heart attack. The study highlights a fundamental difference in how the immune system drives healing based on age.

Researchers have developed a method that leverages artificial intelligence to ensure accurate heart scans without added radiation or cost.

In a randomized clinical trial, giving the clot-busting medication alteplase up to 24 hours after stroke symptoms first appeared increased the odds of better recovery by 50% compared to those who received standard antiplatelet treatment.

Women who have experienced pregnancy complications have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study shows that sisters of women with complicated pregnancies are also at higher risk, even if they had uncomplicated pregnancies. The findings suggest that genes and shared environmental factors may influence the association between pregnancy complications and cardiovascular disease risk.

A team of physicists has developed a groundbreaking method for detecting congestive heart failure with greater ease and precision than previously thought possible. This multidisciplinary study, involving both cardiologists and computational physicists, builds on the team's earlier breakthroughs, for example, in predicting the risk of sudden cardiac death.

The research found that heavy drinkers with either diabetes, high blood pressure or a high waist circumference are as much as 2.4 times more likely to develop advanced liver disease.

New research shows that women who hit menopause later in life have healthier blood vessels and mitochondria and a different composition of metabolites in their blood than those who stop menstruating earlier. The study helps explain why late-onset menopause is linked to lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Drinking ketones improves heart health, a new small-scale study has found.

A new study has identified an enzyme that plays an important role in breaking down unneeded or damaged proteins in the heart -- an important process for maintaining heart health.

Researchers have used mathematical analysis tools to study the effect of classical music on a fetal heartbeat and identify patterns in heart rate variability. They recruited 36 pregnant women and played two classical pieces for their fetuses. By attaching external heart rate monitors, the researchers could measure the fetal heart rate response to both songs, and by employing nonlinear recurrence quantification analysis, they could identify changes in heart rate variability during and after the music was played. They found evidence music can calm fetal heart rates, potentially providing developmental benefits.

The risk of being admitted to the hospital with heart disease is twice as high the year after birth for mothers of twins compared to singleton births, according to new research. The risk is even higher in mothers of twins who had a high blood pressure condition during pregnancy.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) -- commonly known as bad cholesterol -- have long been on scientists' radar as a major contributor to heart disease. But these microscopic troublemakers have hidden their inner workings behind a maze of complexity. That is, until now. Researchers have now revealed the specific shape and structure of one of the body's most important yet complicated proteins: ApoB100. Acting as a kind of molecular exoskeleton, this protein wraps around LDL particles, allowing them to travel through the bloodstream, researchers found.

People with brain bleeds had nearly 7 times higher blood levels of a specific brain protein, called glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), than those who had strokes caused by clots in a study conducted in Germany.

Both F.A.S.T. and BE-FAST acronyms motivated people to call 911 right away for a possible stroke, and this impact lasted for 30 days.

People who regularly floss their teeth (one or more times per week) may lower their risk of stroke caused by a blood clot traveling from the heart and a stroke associated with an irregular heartbeat such as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Increased levels of Streptococcus anginosus, a common type of bacteria that usually lives in the mouth and gut, was found in the gut of recent stroke survivors in Japan.

Heart failure with preserved ejection function is a lethal form of heart failure, with few effective treatments. A team has now identified an enzyme, alpha-kinase 2 (ALPK2), that is specifically expressed in the heart and regulates the heart dysfunction that leads to heart failure with preserved ejection function. ALPK2 signaling represents a potential therapeutic target.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Researchers evaluated a drug that represents a new class of anticoagulants known as Factor XI inhibitors for treating patients with atrial fibrillation as part of the AZALEA-TIMI 71 Study. The trial was stopped early by the recommendation of the Data Monitoring Committee due to an overwhelming reduction in bleeding compared to standard-of-care treatment.

A new molecular imaging technique -- 18F-FAPI PET -- can detect the first signs of tissue remodeling in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), providing physicians with an early marker for disease progression. This approach has the potential to pave the way for more personalized management of PAH, offering more timely interventions to improve patient prognosis.

A new national survey found that while many Americans use a device to monitor their heart, few share that data with their doctor.

Researchers have developed a way of bioprinting tissues that change shape as a result of cell-generated forces, in the same way that it happens in biological tissues during organ development. The breakthrough science focused on replicating heart tissues, bringing research closer to generating functional, bioprinted organs, which would have broad applications in disease modelling, drug screening and regenerative medicine.

People with pockets of fat hidden inside their muscles are at a higher risk of dying or being hospitalized from a heart attack or heart failure, regardless of their body mass index, according to new research. This 'intermuscular' fat is highly prized in beef steaks for cooking. However, little is known about this type of body fat in humans, and its impact on health. This is the first study to comprehensively investigate the effects of fatty muscles on heart disease. The new finding adds evidence that existing measures, such as body mass index or waist circumference, are not adequate to evaluate the risk of heart disease accurately for all people.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, posing a particularly significant threat to people with HIV (PWH). To address this, CVD prevention plans rely on prediction models like atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk scores to estimate the risk of heart disease. However, previous studies have called into question whether these commonly used prediction models perform well among people with HIV, and there remains a gap in understanding of what these scores mean for PWH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Fetuses of pregnant people who gained excess weight in the first trimester of pregnancy show signs of excess fat distribution in the upper arm and in the abdomen, according to a new study. These findings may inform efforts to prevent excessive weight gain early in life, a risk factor for adult obesity and related conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Research has established a clear link between racial and ethnic disparities in maternal heart health and higher risks of preterm birth, preeclampsia and cardiovascular issues for Black and Hispanic mothers and their babies.

Large and rare duplications and deletions in a chromosome region known as 22q11.2 , which involves genes that regulate cardiac development, are linked to nonsyndromic bicuspid aortic valve disease.

Women may be missing a diagnosis of a potentially deadly heart condition due to guidelines that don't account for natural differences in sex and body size.

People who live close to airports and are exposed to high aircraft noise levels could be at greater risk of poor heart function, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks, life-threatening heart rhythms and strokes, according to a new study.

In a large-animal model study, researchers have found that heart attack recovery is aided by injection of heart muscle cell spheroids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, or hiPSCs, that overexpress cyclin D2 and are knocked out for human leukocyte antigen classes I and II. This research used a pig model of heart attacks.

People who drink coffee in the morning have a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a lower overall mortality risk compared to all-day coffee drinkers, according to new research.

A study has found cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which are known to contribute to brain blood vessel damage in younger populations, not to be associated with an increased risk of such harm in individuals 90 and older.

Researchers have successfully repaired damaged mouse hearts using a protein from zebrafish. They discovered that the protein Hmga1 plays a key role in heart regeneration in zebrafish. In mice, this protein was able to restore the heart by activating dormant repair genes without causing side effects, such as heart enlargement. This study marks an important step toward regenerative therapies to prevent heart failure.

Patients diagnosed with late-stage or metastatic breast cancer have a statistically significant increased risk of pre-diagnosis cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those with early-stage cancer at diagnosis.