cardiovascular disease news stories on Newser

Boosting 'Good' Cholesterol Doesn't Help, May Hurt

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:30:05 CDT

Raising your “good” HDL cholesterol might not be such a good idea. A federally funded study into the effectiveness of the HDL booster niacin has been abruptly cut off, after it became clear that the drug did nothing to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke—and in the...

Avandia Woes Mount Ahead of FDA Hearing

Nick McMaster — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:55:00 CDT

As the FDA prepares to consider whether to ban Avandia, agency scientists have discovered another problem with the diabetes drug: flaws that disqualify a clinical study sponsored by its maker. The trial, organized by GlaxoSmithKline, sought to evaluate the relative heart risks of Avandia and two other diabetes drugs, but...

Chocolate Linked to Lower Stroke Risk

M. Morris — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:25:00 CST

Eating one serving of chocolate per week may help save you from a stroke, researchers say. Chocolate eaters are 22% less likely to suffer a stroke than abstainers, an analysis of three studies with a total of 44,489 subjects reveals. But even the study author cautions that the conclusion...

Aspirin Harmful for Healthy People: Study

Kevin Spak — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:34:00 CDT

Healthy people shouldn’t be taking aspirin, according to a new study. The drug doesn’t actually reduce the risk of heart attack, as many of the “worried well” have long believed, British scientists told a medical conference, but it does nearly double the risk they’ll be hospitalized with internal bleeding. Those...

Millions of Americans May Have 'Rare' Artery Disease

Rob Quinn — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:42:51 CDT

A disease so obscure many doctors don't know about it may actually affect up to one in twenty people, experts tell the Wall Street Journal . Fibromuscular dysplasia—FMD—affects the walls of arteries and can cause blockages. It is rarely diagnosed, or looked for, but vascular experts believe it could...

Heart Attack Deaths Plummet 30%

Peter Fearon — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:10:37 CST

In what is being hailed as a medical miracle, deaths from heart attack and stroke have dropped nearly a third between 1999 and 2006, according to the latest statistics from the American Heart Association. Yet despite gains from better preventive medicine and more effective hospital treatment, one person still dies...

That Stink May Help Your Blood Pressure

Matt Cantor — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:31:00 CDT

The gas we pass is unpleasant when it escapes, but it may also be key to lowering blood pressure, the BBC reports. It seems that hydrogen sulfide is produced by an enzyme in blood vessels, researchers at Johns Hopkins University found. Mice who lacked the enzyme experienced what would be...

Heart Disease, Diabetes Linked to Everyday BPA

Ambreen Ali — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:52:01 CDT

A chemical found in many containers commonly used by Americans is linked to heart disease and diabetes in a new study, the Chicago Tribune reports. The first large-scale human study of Bisphenol A follows a government advisory on using the chemical near food, and a report connecting it to ill...

Red Alert: Energy Drink Thickens Blood

Nick McMaster — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:31:01 CDT

Drinking Red Bull could lead to heart problems, the London Times reports. In a small study—30 Australian college students took part—downing even one can of the hypercaffeinated energy drink increased the risk of blot clots. In short, the young Red Bull enthusiasts developed a condition that resembled cardiovascular...