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Do Cholesterol Meds Lower Heart Disease Risk?
A surprising answer from a new study
Health News Results - 128
Calorie-Burning 'Brown Fat' Could Help Keep You Healthy, Even if You're Obese
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- January 11, 2021
- Full Page
A special calorie-burning type of body fat appears to help protect against an array of chronic ailments, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, a new study suggests.
Brown fat generates heat by drawing glucose from the bloodstream, as opposed t...
Certain Antibiotics Linked With Upped Risk for Deadly Aortic Aneurysms
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- January 7, 2021
- Full Page
A widely used class of antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of a potentially fatal blood vessel condition -- even in younger, healthy people.
In a study of millions of antibiotic prescriptions made in the United States, researchers found that one class was as...
Heart Risk Factors May Be Especially Unhealthy in People With Psoriasis
- Steven Reinberg
- January 4, 2021
- Full Page
People with metabolic syndrome and the skin condition psoriasis are at especially high risk for heart attack and stroke, a new study warns.
Psoriasis has been known to increase the risk of heart disease, but researchers have now pegged metabolic syndrome as a key reason....
Dads' Health Linked to Odds of Pregnancy Loss in Moms-to-Be
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- December 23, 2020
- Full Page
A large new study suggests that men who plan to be fathers should try to get themselves in shape first.
Researchers found that when fathers-to-be had health conditions like high blood pressure or obesity, the odds that their partner might experience miscarriage or stillb...
Obesity Plays Role in Higher Breast Cancer Rates for Black Women
- Robert Preidt
- December 7, 2020
- Full Page
Obesity may be a major reason Black American women with early breast cancer are 40% more likely to die than white patients, according to a new study.
Obesity is a known risk factor for several types of cancer, and decades of rising rates of obesity in the United States h...
Metabolites' From Food Could Affect Your Stroke Risk
- Steven Reinberg
- December 3, 2020
- Full Page
Levels of some small molecules called metabolites in the body may affect your risk of stroke, a new analysis suggests.
Metabolites come from the food people eat, and they cause chemical processes within the bodies and microbes. An analysis of previously published studie...
Gay, Lesbian Adults Often Miss Out on Cholesterol Meds
- Robert Preidt
- December 2, 2020
- Full Page
Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults are less likely to take cholesterol-lowering statins to prevent heart disease than heterosexual adults, even though they have a higher heart disease risk, according to a new study.
Researchers conducted an online survey of more tha...
Black Americans Suffer More From Heart Disease: The AHA Wants to Change That
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 23, 2020
- Full Page
The Black Lives Matter movement put racism in the United States under the glare of the public spotlight in 2020. And at its recently concluded annual meeting, the American Heart Association pledged to fight racial disparities in heart health and boost the life expectancy of al...
AHA News: People With Depression Fare Worse in Heart Health Study
- American Heart Association News
- November 20, 2020
- Full Page
Heart disease and depression are interwoven, and a new study is helping unravel that connection by linking depression with poorer scores on seven important measures of heart health.
The research included more than 4,000 people taking part in a national survey who had bee...
Are Statin Side Effects 'All in Your Head'?
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- November 19, 2020
- Full Page
Most of the side effects commonly blamed on cholesterol-lowering statins may actually be the product of patients' imaginations, new British research claims.
The finding follows a study of 60 patients who had been taking statins but stopped because of reported muscle ache...
Prescription-Strength Fish Oil Won't Help Your Heart -- Or Will It?
- Steven Reinberg and Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporters
- November 16, 2020
- Full Page
Does high-strength fish oil help the heart or doesn't it?
Prior research into a prescription medicine derived from fish called Vascepa, announced earlier this year, suggested it might be of real value for heart patients.
But the results from a trial of another suc...
Living Healthy Good for Your Heart, Even if You're on Meds
- Steven Reinberg
- November 12, 2020
- Full Page
No matter how many medications you take, eating a healthy diet, not smoking and getting plenty of exercise will help keep you alive, a new study finds.
"We've long known about the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. The results from our study underscore the importan...
Transgender People Often Have Heart Risks: Study
- Steven Reinberg
- November 12, 2020
- Full Page
Many transgender people who take hormone therapy have unaddressed risks for heart disease and stroke, a new study finds.
These patients often have undiagnosed high blood pressure and high cholesterol, even in young adulthood, researchers found.
"Previous research h...
After Heart Attack, Pot Smoking Raises Post-Op Dangers
- Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
- November 10, 2020
- Full Page
Election Day 2020 saw marijuana legalization continue its march across the United States, but a pair of new studies warn that smoking pot could increase risk for heart patients.
Marijuana smokers are more likely to suffer complications like excess bleeding or stroke if t...
Flu Vaccine Rates Low in Young Adults With Heart Disease
- Steven Reinberg
- November 10, 2020
- Full Page
Among young adults with heart disease, less than 25% get a flu shot, a new study finds.
"Individuals with cardiovascular disease are more likely to have flu than among those without any chronic health conditions," said researcher Dr. Tarang Parekh, a Ph.D. candidate and ...
Having Heart Disease Can Make Other Surgeries More Risky
- Robert Preidt
- October 15, 2020
- Full Page
Heart patients may face a greater chance of cardiovascular complications after having major surgery that doesn't involve the heart, new research suggests.
Twenty percent of these patients experienced heart troubles within a year of such surgery, the researchers found...
Heart Patients Need to Be Wary of Coronavirus
- Robert Preidt
- October 6, 2020
- Full Page
The coronavirus pandemic and flu season pose a double risk for heart disease patients, so they need to be extra vigilant about their health, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) says.
"Heart disease patients bear a greater burden during the pandemic since they ar...
Some Vegetarian Diets Are Much Healthier Than Others
- E.J. Mundell
- August 27, 2020
- Full Page
For a host of reasons, millions worldwide are deciding to give up meat and focus on a plant-based diet.
But new research out of Greece is a reminder that not all vegetarian diets are healthy -- especially for people who are already obese.
"The quality of pl...
What Athletes Should Know About COVID-19, Heart Damage and Working Out
- Serena McNiff
- August 7, 2020
- Full Page
With evidence mounting that COVID-19 can damage the heart, experts urge people to take precautions when doing vigorous exercise.
Up to 30% of patients hospitalized with coronavirus infection have signs of cardiac injury, according to Dr. Sunal Makadia, health dir...
Study Casts Doubt on Value of Cholesterol Drugs
- Serena Gordon
- August 4, 2020
- Full Page
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide take cholesterol-lowering drugs, like statins, but now a new review suggests that many folks don't benefit from these medications.
The researchers said the review of 35 randomized controlled trials failed to show a consistent...
Beta Blocker Heart Meds Might Pose Special Risks for Women
- E.J. Mundell
- July 13, 2020
- Full Page
Millions of Americans are prescribed blood pressure medicines called beta blockers, especially after a heart attack. But a new Italian study finds that these go-to drugs might not work as well for women as they do for men.
"What we found presents a solid case for ree...
75 or Older? Statins Can Still Benefit Your Heart
- Dennis Thompson
- July 7, 2020
- Full Page
Older adults with healthy hearts probably would benefit from taking a cholesterol-lowering statin, a new study contends.
People 75 and older who were free of heart disease and prescribed a statin wound up with a 25% lower risk of death from any cause and a 20% ...
Exercise Might Make Breast Milk's Goodness Even Better
- Cara Roberts Murez
- June 30, 2020
- Full Page
Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but a new study suggests it also increases the amount of a beneficial compound called 3SL in the breast milk of both humans and mice.
Based on that, researchers think that its benefits to babies could last for decades, potenti...
More Young Americans Developing Unhealthy Predictors of Heart Disease
- Serena Gordon
- June 23, 2020
- Full Page
A new study finds that 1 in 5 people under age 40 now have metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that together increase the odds for many serious conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
The rate of metabolic syndrome is rising in all age grou...
AHA News: Inherited High Cholesterol May Be Common in People With Heart Disease
- May 29, 2020
- Full Page
An inherited disorder that causes high cholesterol early in life appears to affect about 25 million people worldwide, but it is especially common among people with cardiovascular disease, new research suggests.
The findings, published Friday in the American Heart Assoc...
Heart Attacks, Strokes Are Declining Among People With Diabetes
- Serena Gordon
- May 1, 2020
- Full Page
An Australian study has good news for people with type 2 diabetes -- fewer people with diabetes are having heart attacks and strokes compared to 20 years ago.
Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular complications have declined in the general population, too....
More Money, Better Heart Health? Not Always
- Amy Norton
- April 28, 2020
- Full Page
Young people who pull themselves out of poverty may be no better off when it comes to their heart health, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that "upwardly mobile" U.S. adults tended to be less stressed and depressed than peers who spent their whole lives below ...
Coffee May Do a Heart Good, as Long as It's Filtered
- Amy Norton
- April 23, 2020
- Full Page
Stay-at-home orders mean that many people are making their own morning coffee for the first time. Now, a timely new study suggests the healthiest way is with a drip coffee maker.
Researchers found that coffee drinkers typically enjoyed longer lives than nondrinkers, ...
Fewer Americans Have High Cholesterol
- Steven Reinberg
- April 22, 2020
- Full Page
The number of American adults with high cholesterol dropped nearly 8 percentage points from 2000 to 2018, health officials reported Wednesday.
By 2018, just over 11%#37; of adults age 20 and over had high cholesterol, a major cause of heart disease, according to a ...
Turning to Tofu Might Help the Heart: Study
- Robert Preidt
- March 23, 2020
- Full Page
Eating tofu and other foods with high levels of isoflavones -- plant-based "phytoestrogens" -- could lower people's risk of heart disease, a new study suggests. The effect was especially strong in women.
"Other human trials and animal studies of isoflavones, tofu and...
Heart Drug Combos Might Also Lower Your Dementia Risk: Study
- Robert Preidt
- March 13, 2020
- Full Page
Certain combinations of cholesterol and blood pressure drugs may do more than help the heart -- they might also lower a person's risk of dementia, a new study finds.
The drugs in question include two common types of blood pressure medications -- ACE inhibitors and a...
After Heart Attack, Following Doctor's Orders Greatly Boosts Survival
- Dennis Thompson
- March 5, 2020
- Full Page
Heart attack survivors receive a laundry list of tasks from their doctors as they leave the hospital, all aimed at improving their heart health.
It would be understandable to look at the list with a raised eyebrow and ask just how important all of it is.
Vi...
At High Risk for Heart Disease? Strict Blood Pressure Control Should Help
- Robert Preidt
- February 28, 2020
- Full Page
If you're at high risk for heart disease, lowering your blood pressure below the standard target level may help extend your life, a new study suggests.
Specifically, a systolic blood pressure target of less than 120 mm Hg -- rather than the standard 140 mm Hg -- coul...
Healthy Heart in Your 20s, Healthier Brain Decades Later
- Robert Preidt
- February 27, 2020
- Full Page
A healthier heart in early adulthood could mean fewer thinking and memory problems later in life, a new study suggests.
"These results indicate that people need to pay close attention to their health even in their early 20s," said study author Dr. Farzaneh Sorond, of...
More Than 4 in 10 Americans Are Now Obese: CDC
- Serena Gordon
- February 27, 2020
- Full Page
In a sign that suggests America's obesity epidemic is far from under control, a new government report shows that more than 40% of people in the United States are obese.
And almost 1 in 10 is severely obese, the researchers added.
"Over the time period ...
Sugary Sodas Wreak Havoc With Cholesterol Levels, Harming the Heart
- Steven Reinberg
- February 26, 2020
- Full Page
Sugar-sweetened drinks can play havoc with your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, a new study finds.
Specifically, drinking more than 12 ounces (1 standard can) of sugary sodas or fruit drinks a day may not ...
Bad Sleep, Bad Diet = Bad Heart?
- Robert Preidt
- February 25, 2020
- Full Page
It's a dangerous equation: Poor sleep triggers a bad diet, and the two can equal a higher risk for obesity and heart disease in women, a new study contends.
"Women are particularly prone to sleep disturbances across the life span, because they often shoulder the resp...
Mealtime Choices Could Affect Your Odds for Stroke
- Robert Preidt
- February 24, 2020
- Full Page
Want to avoid a stroke? Reach for fruits and veggies, new research suggests.
The new European study of more than 418,000 people found that what you eat can influence your risk for different types of stroke.
"The most important finding is that higher consum...
'Couch Potato' Lifestyle Poses Danger to Women's Hearts
- Dennis Thompson
- February 18, 2020
- Full Page
Most folks know that being a couch potato is bad for their health, but new research suggests that women who spend hours in their chairs and sofas might face greater risks than believed.
Sitting for long periods of time can increase risk factors for heart disease and ...
Women Patients Still Missing in Heart Research
- Robert Preidt
- February 18, 2020
- Full Page
Women remain underrepresented in heart disease research, even though it's the leading cause of death among women worldwide, researchers say.
Women accounted for less than 40% of all people enrolled in cardiovascular clinical trials from 2010 through 2017, accordi...
Cholesterol Drugs Might Help Curb 'High-Risk' Prostate Cancers
- Robert Preidt
- February 14, 2020
- Full Page
Drugs that many men with prostate cancer might already be taking -- cholesterol-lowering statins -- may help extend their survival if they have a "high-risk" form of the disease, new research suggests.
High-risk patients include men with high blood levels of prostate...
2 in 3 Americans Unaware That Heart Disease Is Leading Killer of Women
- Robert Preidt
- February 4, 2020
- Full Page
More than two-thirds of Americans don't know that heart disease is the leading cause of death among U.S. women, a new survey reveals.
Overall, 68% of respondents weren't aware that heart disease is the top killer of women, but the rate was much higher (80%) a...
Meat Still Isn't Healthy, Study Confirms
- Serena Gordon
- February 3, 2020
- Full Page
After a weekend of football-shaped pigs-in-a-blanket, you probably don't want to hear that the latest study on red and processed meat found that these foods boost your risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
The study also found that meat ups your risk of premature ...
One Egg Per Day Is Heart-Healthy, After All
- Robert Preidt
- February 3, 2020
- Full Page
It's no yolk: Americans for decades have gotten dietary whiplash from the back-and-forth science on whether eggs are good for them.
But a major new study will have many egg-lovers relieved: You can enjoy an egg a day without having to worry about your heart.<...
Millions of Americans With Heart Disease Use Pot, Bringing Potential Harm
- Amy Norton
- January 21, 2020
- Full Page
Over 2 million Americans with heart disease have used marijuana, despite evidence that it might be harmful to them, a new research review finds.
The report, published in the Jan. 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, comes at a time wh...
Fewer Childhood Cancer Survivors Getting Hit by Heart Troubles
- Steven Reinberg
- January 17, 2020
- Full Page
Since the 1970s, serious heart disease among childhood cancer survivors had declined remarkably, a new study finds.
The decline suggests that efforts to make cancer treatments, including radiation, less toxic are paying off, researchers say.
For the study...
Cluster of Unhealthy Risk Factors Could Raise Odds of Recurrent Blood Clots
- Steven Reinberg
- January 9, 2020
- Full Page
People with what's known as the "metabolic syndrome" are vulnerable to recurring blood clots, new research shows.
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions, including obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These factors put peopl...
AHA News: Statins May Do Double Duty on Heart Disease and Cancer
- January 6, 2020
- Full Page
About 40 million adults in the U.S. take a statin to lower their cholesterol and reduce the risk for heart disease. They might also be getting an added anti-cancer benefit, a growing body of evidence suggests.
Scientists first began investigating a connection betwee...
FDA Gives Expanded Approval to Prescription Fish Oil for Heart Patients
- Dennis Thompson
- December 16, 2019
- Full Page
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday gave expanded approval to a prescription form of fish oil called Vascepa, to help prevent heart trouble in people at high risk who are already taking statins.
Vascepa (icosapent ethyl) was already FDA-approved for a sma...
Good Workouts Might Extend a Woman's Life
- Robert Preidt
- December 7, 2019
- Full Page
If you can tackle a tough workout, that may bode well for your longevity, new research suggests.
A woman's risk of dying from heart disease, cancer or other causes is much lower if she can engage in vigorous exercise, scientists report.
The new study includ...