An aspirin a day? Poll of older adults suggests some who take it may be following outdated advice

One in four older adults take aspirin at least three times a week, mostly in hopes of preventing heart attacks and strokes, a new poll shows. But many people aged 50 to 80 who said they take aspirin may not need to because hey don’t have a history of cardiovascular disease.

Blacks Found Twice as Likely to Have Atherosclerosis as Hispanics in Young Adult Populations in Underserved Communities

A unique Mount Sinai study focused on a multi-ethnic, underserved community in New York City shows that young Black adults are twice as likely to have atherosclerosis as similarly situated young Hispanic adults.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s Study Shows Healthy Diets Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight Children

A Cleveland Clinic-led research team found that statistically overweight children who followed a healthy eating pattern significantly improved weight and reduced a variety of cardiovascular disease risks. The study, which published today in the Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, paired parents and children together throughout the trial.

Alcohol Plus Cadmium (via Smoking) Can Amplify Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Risk

Heavy drinking combined with cadmium exposure — most commonly via smoking — escalates the risk of hypertension, according to a new study. Hypertension (high blood pressure) affects 26 percent of the global population and is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Alcohol consumption and cadmium exposure are known risk factors for hypertension. Exposure to cadmium, a metal that accumulates in body organs, occurs mainly through smoking, which often accompanies heavy drinking. Other cadmium sources include certain foods, air pollution, and wine and beer. Alcohol increases the absorption of cadmium in the body, and evidence suggests that the two substances contribute to hypertension via shared physiological pathways. The new study, in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, is the first known epidemiological investigation of the combined effects of alcohol and cadmium on blood pressure.

Reduced Sitting Time Improves Blood Flow in Brain and Legs

During a regular day, the average person sits for eight to 10 hours. These high levels of sitting time seem linked to an increased risk for both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. First, researchers found that three hours of sitting results…

Study Links Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering to Reduced Cardiovascular Risk in Patients Exposed to High Levels of Air Pollution

In a new study published this week in the journal Hypertension, researchers at University Hospitals (UH) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine found intensive BP lowering is effective in reducing cardiovascular risk in patients exposed to high levels of air pollution.

Penn Medicine Researchers Find Link Between Food Insecurity and Cardiovascular Death Risk

According to preliminary research conducted by Penn Medicine, increasing rates of food insecurity in counties across the U.S. are independently associated with an increase in cardiovascular death rates among adults between the ages of 20 and 64. This is one of the first national analyses to evaluate changes in both food security and cardiovascular mortality over time, and to see if changes in food insecurity impact cardiovascular health.

For Cardiac Rehab Patients, In-Home Portable Air Cleaners Lower Fine-Particle Pollutant Exposure

Using an in-home portable air cleaner (PAC) can significantly reduce exposure to fine-particle air pollutants – a major risk factor for cardiovascular events in people with pre-existing heart disease, reports a pilot study in the July issue of Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Diabetes drug study explores cardiovascular risks for patients with kidney disease

Among the 30 million U.S. adults with Type 2 diabetes, 20% have impaired kidney function. In patients like this, metformin, the recommended first-line drug therapy for Type 2 diabetes, is associated in the new study with 20 percent decreased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events when compared to a class of common diabetes drugs called sulfonylureas.