Common hair loss and prostate drug may also cut heart disease risk in men and mice

The drug finasteride, also known as Propecia or Proscar, treats male pattern baldness and enlarged prostate in millions of men worldwide. But a new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study suggests the drug may also provide a surprising and life-saving benefit: lowering cholesterol and cutting the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

Why the Top Cause of Death for Women Has Been Ignored

Experts at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai who have studied progress made over decades of research say there’s still a long way to go before medical science fully understands how heart disease is different in women than men.

Menopause and migraines: New findings point to power of prevention

Women who have both migraines and a long-term history of hot flashes and/or night sweats have a slightly higher risk of heart disease and stroke, and young women who have migraines have a higher risk of later persistent menopause symptoms, according to a new pair of papers.

Expert provides tips to show some love for heart health

During February’s Heart Health Month, a West Virginia University Extension expert is offering advice on simple steps to improve heart health. Gwen Crum, a Family and Community Development agent and assistant professor, says adjusting diets and adding more exercise, even in small ways, can make a…

Preschoolers From Low-Income Families May Have Worse Health and Benefit Less From Health Promotion Interventions Than Children With Higher Socioeconomic Status

Mount Sinai study focused on Harlem preschools emphasizes the need for specialized health promotion programs in classrooms starting at an early age

Mount Sinai Announces Partnership With the Brazilian Clinical Research Institute to Advance Cardiovascular Disease Research and Medical Education

Agreement aims to improve patient care and outcomes on a global scale

Study: Blood stem cell diversity arises in embryonic development

All humans have a diverse set of blood stem cell types that help govern overall health. As people age, they tend to lose this diversity, increasing their risk for blood cancers, cardiovascular disease and all-causes death. Yale School of Medicine…

First Dedicated Heart and Vascular Hospital in Waxahachie Opening Soon

Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Waxahachie*, an expansion of the nationally recognized Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas*, is now complete.

Less-invasive Cardiac MRI Is a Valuable Diagnostic Tool in the Early Evaluation of Patients with Acute Chest Pain

An estimated 3 million patients visit emergency departments each year with acute chest pain and mildly elevated troponin levels. A new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine reveals that cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a safe and valuable tool to help evaluate these complex patients.

Statin alternative lowers risk of cardiac events as well as cholesterol levels

A medication called bempedoic acid reduced the risk of cardiac events as well as statins and may offer an alternative to the popular cholesterol-reducing medications, according to industry-supported research being presented Thursday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, in Chicago, Ill.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome may face increased risk of death

People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have a 47% increased risk for death at a younger age compared with those without the condition, according to research being presented on Sunday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

Climate Change Threatens Military Readiness

The growing frequency and intensity of heat waves around the globe pose “a substantial, persistent ‘non-combat threat’” to military training and operations, according to experts in environmental, thermoregulatory and cardiovascular physiology.

University Hospitals Portage Medical Center Brings New Healthcare Investments to Community

University Hospitals Portage Medical Center has made a number of recent investments in various areas to better serve patients in the community. Throughout the next few months, the hospital will be opening a new Breast Health Center, renovating its Cath Lab, enhancing women’s health services, and making new improvements in nuclear medicine, imaging, and across its facilities.

Cardiologist to Female Patients: Be Aware of Atypical Heart Attack Symptoms

In recognition of American Heart Month (February), one cardiologist from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) is sharing potentially life-saving information for patients assigned female at birth. “The leading killer in women is not cancer—it’s heart disease,…

New Study Finds Depression, Poor Mental Health Linked to Higher Heart Disease Risks Among Young Adults

Young adults who feel down or depressed are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) and have poor heart health, according to a new study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers who analyzed data from more than a half million people between the ages of 18 and 49. The findings add to a growing body of evidence connecting CVD with depression among young and middle-aged adults and suggest the relationship between the two could begin in early adulthood.

Learn CPR and Lower Your Stress: Mount Sinai Cardiologists Emphasize Their Importance During American Heart Month

Doctors warn about lack of knowledge of administering CPR, especially in high-risk groups, and the rise of stress-related heart issues

Gender Affirmation Treatment Delivery Route May Affect Heart Health

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people assigned male at birth are at increased heart health risk. The delivery route of estrogen medication is known to affect heart health risk in cisgender women. However, research is lacking on how estrogen route affects heart health in the TGD population.

Northwestern Medicine Taps Douglas R. Johnston, MD, to Lead Cardiac Surgery

Nationally recognized cardiothoracic surgeon, Douglas R. Johnston, MD, has been named surgical director of Northwestern Medicine’s Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute and chief of the division of cardiac surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

University Hospitals Studying a Self-Management Treatment for Black Women with Depression and at Risk for High Blood Pressure

Researchers at University Hospitals, with support from an American Heart Association® grant, will work to better understand how to successfully treat Black women diagnosed with depression who are also at risk for high blood pressure.

Nationally representative study shows disparities persist in lipid control

Physician-scientists assessed whether lipid concentrations and rates of lipid control changed among U.S. adults from 2007 to 2018. The researchers observed that while mean cholesterol concentrations improved among U.S. adults overall during this time period, there were concerning variations in these trends by race and ethnicity.

Ochsner and Tulane collaboration uncovers what happens to genes inside artery plaques to trigger strokes

Researchers at Ochsner Health and Tulane University School of Medicine have identified the genes that become active in carotid arteries when plaque rupture causes a stroke. The work, published in Scientific Reports, was made possible by acquiring samples closer to the time of the stroke than previously possible. The results provide a picture of what the cells in the plaque are doing near the moment they induce a stroke.

Higher cardiovascular health may partially offset increased genetic risk for stroke

Genes and lifestyle factors together play a role in stroke risk. However, even for people at high risk for stroke, adopting a healthy cardiovascular lifestyle may significantly lower the risk of stroke in their lifetime, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

A healthy lifestyle can offset a high genetic risk for stroke, according to new research by UTHealth Houston

People who are genetically at higher risk for stroke can lower that risk by as much as 43% by adopting a healthy cardiovascular lifestyle, according to new research led by UTHealth Houston, which was published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Exercise + Sauna = Better Cardiovascular Function

New research suggests that adding a regular 15-minute sauna to an exercise routine may improve cardiovascular risk factors more than exercise alone. The study is the first randomized controlled trial to explore the long-term combination of exercise and sauna bathing in a non-clinical population. It is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

Mark Mascarenhas, M.D., who implanted the first dual-chamber leadless pacemakers at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, is available to speak to media

The cardiovascular team at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center recently implanted New Jersey’s first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker systems in patients, as part of Abbott’s AveirTM DR i2i clinical study.   People who experience a slower-than-normal heart rate may receive…

New Jersey’s First Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemakers Implanted at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

The cardiovascular team at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center recently implanted New Jersey’s first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker systems in patients, as part of Abbott’s AveirTM DR i2i clinical study.

Specific Environmental Exposures may Help Predict Increased Risk of Death from Cardiovascular Disease

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai quantifies the cardiovascular risk posed by exposure to specific environmental factors, showing, for example, that air pollution heightens the risk of heart disease mortality by 17 percent.

Obesity and Cardiovascular Factors Combine to Cause Cognitive Decline in Latinos

Obesity is a major public health issue among Latinos, and a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. But in a new study, researchers at UC San Diego report that cardiometabolic abnormalities, such as hypertension, are more strongly associated with cognitive decline than obesity alone.

Exercise to Improve Health: Fast, Furious and Infrequent or Slow, Steady and Sustainable?

Exercise is well-known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. While moderate-intensity continuous exercise (END) has traditionally been recommended to achieve these meaningful benefits, the time-effective alternative of sprint interval training (SIT)…

Fat Around the Heart Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Failure

EMBARGOED UNTIL MAY 24 2:00PM EST (New York, NY – May 24, 2021) – Having excess pericardial fat—fat around the heart—increases the risk of developing heart failure, especially in women, according to new Mount Sinai research. Women with high amounts…

Get Off the Couch! Replacing Sedentary Time with Physical Activity or Sleep Improves Heart Health

National and international guidelines recommend replacing the amount of time spent being sedentary with physical activity to improve health. This message is especially important in the face of COVID-19, as overall sedentary behaviors have increased substantially. In fact, research suggests…