Justin Levisay

MONDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly people may gain as much benefit from having implantable cardioverter defibrillators as younger people, according to a new study.

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, is a device placed inside the chest to deliver electrical shocks ...Full Article

MONDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from cardiovascular disease who have lower-than-normal blood pressure may face a higher risk of brain atrophy -- the death of brain cells or connections between brain cells, Dutch researchers report.

Such brain atrophy can lead to Alzhe...Full Article

FRIDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Poor sleep appears to contribute to the progression of heart disease in women by raising their inflammation levels, but this effect was not seen in men, researchers say.

"Inflammation is a well-known predictor of cardiovascular...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Older people who suffer from a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation may also be more likely to experience mental declines sooner, a new study suggests.

"Problems with memory and thinking are common for people as they get older," sai...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs used to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease may also reduce patients' risk of heart attack and death, according to a new study.

Researchers followed more than 7,000 Alzheimer's disease patients in Sweden for more tha...Full Article

THURSDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with advanced heart failure have much better survival odds today than 20 years ago, but one in three still dies within three years of their diagnosis, researchers report.

"We are doing a good job of ensuring that pat...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- People who take high doses of common painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) face a greater risk for heart problems, a new analysis shows.

Although NSAIDs are used around the world to help people with inflammatory conditio...Full Article

TUESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the antidepressant Lexapro appears to help prevent a potentially serious stress-related heart condition, a new study finds.

The condition is known as known as "mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia." Although people with this condition may n...Full Article

MONDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution and noise pollution both may boost the risk of heart disease, new research from Germany suggests.

"Many studies have looked at air pollution, while others have looked at noise pollution," said Dr. Barbara Hoffmann...Full Article

FRIDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- There are apps that turn your smartphone into a metal detector, a musical instrument and a GPS system, and now there's an app that may help doctors save your life if you're having a heart attack.

The app, which was designed by engineers and critical care...Full Article

FRIDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Management of heart disease risk factors -- such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking -- varies significantly among outpatient practices in the United States, according to a new study.

Researchers found that among 18 primary care and card...Full Article

THURSDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with heart failure or a heart attack appear to be at high risk of death or readmission to the hospital for at least one month after being discharged, researchers say.

And the period of increased risk for these patients may be even longer afte...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- People who are obese or out of shape in their 40s or 50s might think it's too late to start getting fit, but new research finds that shaping up in middle age lowers the odds for heart failure later in life.

What's more, the reduction in risk is indepe...Full Article

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) -- Among young heart attack victims, women often have more medical issues, more chest pain and worse quality of life before the event than men, a new study reveals.

The researchers, from the Yale School of Medicine, said young women also tend to have wo...Full Article

SUNDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- At least 10 percent of severe genetic heart defects are caused by new gene mutations that were not passed down from patients' parents, a new study finds.

Congenital heart disease is the most common form of birth defect and occurs in nearly 1 percent of n...Full Article