Heart Health : 481 Articles

Many of the risk factors for heart disease are modifiable, meaning you have some control over them and can take steps to help prevent heart disease. See this section for the latest research, tips and things you can do today to help keep your heart healthy.

Lifestyle changes alone may lower blood pressure

A study published in todayís Journal of the American Medical Association is said to be the first to test the impact of a combination of lifestyle changes on high blood pressure and has…

Boost your exercise intensity to ward off a heart attack

A brisk half-hour walk five days a week might make you healthier, but may not be enough to avoid a premature death from heart disease, British researchers reported this week. Current UK and…

Eating fish reduces heart disease in diabetic women

Women with diabetes appear to receive the heart-healthy benefits of a diet rich in fish. Among women with diabetes (a condition that places them at especially high risk of heart disease) the…

Saturated fat diet piles on pounds around organs

People who eat a diet high in saturated fat, which is found in all animal foods like meat and dairy products, accumulate more fat around the internal organs in the abdomen than those who…

U.S. guidelines aim to prevent heart disease in kids

The American Heart Association released new guidelines last week that aim to fight heart disease before it gets started in children. The guidelines encourage parents to limit high-fat food,…

Report favors cutting salt from food supply

According to UN officials, government actions to cut salt in processed foods, as well as other measures to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, could lower the global rate of heart disease by…

Hormone replacement therapy does not protect the heart

The belief that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) protects women against coronary heart disease was dealt another blow by researchers last week. Researchers at Nottingham University said their…

French red wines may benefit your blood vessels

Plenty of research suggests that modest drinking is heart-healthy, but could getting your wine from France make a difference? Probably not. But German scientists have found that French red…

A drink or two a day lowers stroke risk

Moderate drinkers who consume one to two alcoholic drinks a day reduce their risk of having a stroke. However, consuming more than 5 drinks daily has the opposite effect, doubling a…

High ephedra doses tied to stroke risk

A new study backs up case reports tying the weight-loss herb ephedra to the risk of stroke but the risk appears confined to higher doses, according to researchers. Overall, the investigators…

Black tea may lower heart disease risk

A study of over 3,400 adults in Saudi Arabia found that those who drank more than 6 cups of tea per day had a more than 50% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to tea abstainers,…

Fish may prevent stroke in men

Men who eat just one serving of fish a month may have a lower risk of the most common type of stroke, which occurs when blood flow to the brain becomes blocked, new study findings from Harvard…

Vegetarian cheese lowers cholesterol levels

Eating cheese made from vegetable oils rather than milk fat can reduce cholesterol levels in some people, a study from Finland shows. After 4 weeks of eating a daily portion of vegetarian…

Report supports folic acid for heart health

High blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine may raise the risk of heart disease, stroke and blood clots in the legs, a new study confirms. The good news, researchers say, is that…

Soy nuts lower high blood pressure

Eating dry-roasted soy nuts may help post-menopausal women lower their blood pressure, according to a study released last week. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in…

Antioxidant vitamins may not protect the heart

Antioxidant vitamins, either alone or in combination with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), do not appear to provide any heart health benefits to postmenopausal women with existing heart…

Atkins-type diet may not be so bad for cholesterol

A very low carbohydrate, Atkins-type diet appears to shift the size of cholesterol particles from small to large, and that is a good thing for the heart, researchers reported last week the…

Foods cooked at high heat linked to heart disease

People with diabetes may be able to lower their risk of heart disease by consuming foods cooked at relatively low temperatures, such as salads, preliminary research suggests. According to the…

Eat fish to keep heart healthy, say experts

People should try to eat at least two servings of fish every week to get a good dose of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) in a report…

Coffee ingredient may affect heart

Researchers from Zurich, Switzerland found that something other than caffeine may also affect the cardiovascular systems of coffee drinkers. And for habitual drinkers, another ingredient may…