TUESDAY, Aug. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Inexpensive ultrasound imaging may be a simple way to help determine who's at high risk for a heart attack or other cardiovascular issues, a new study says.

Researchers conducted ultrasound imaging on the carotid arteries -- the two vessels that supply blood to the head and neck -- of 1,268 patients who were asymptomatic but at high risk for cardiovascular disease. They found that nearly half the patients had carotid artery disease.

The findings are published in the September issue of the journal Radiology.

FRIDAY, Aug. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A protein produced by fat cells may play a pivotal role in increasing an older American's risk for a heart attack even if they are losing weight, a new report says.

Levels of adiponectin increase in the bloodstream when people lose weight and appear to endanger the cardiovascular health of older people, according to the new study to be published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

In a recent study published in Diabetes Care, it now appears that gum disease may be a predictor for the onset of diabetes.

The study is the most recent in a string of reports linking gum health to over all health. Last year, researchers at Harvard associated periodontal disease with pancreatic cancer.

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Giving the transplant drug cyclosporine to heart attack patients can prevent the injury that's caused by blood rushing back to the damaged heart, French researchers report.

The trial of cyclosporine involved 58 people whose blocked arteries were reopened after heart attacks. It was spurred by several lines of research, noted study lead author Dr. Michel Ovize, professor of physiology and cardiology at the University of Lyon.

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- A mesh patch designed to regenerate cardiac muscle damaged by a heart attack or heart failure has done well in animal studies and preliminary human trials.

The patch is made of vicryl, a material used for suturing injured tissue that is later absorbed by the body, explained Jordan J. Lancaster, a predoctoral fellow at the Southern Arizona VA Medical Center in Tucson, who reported on the animal studies Wednesday at an American Heart Association meeting in Keystone, Colo.

WEDNESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Giving the transplant drug cyclosporine to heart attack patients can prevent the injury that's caused by blood rushing back to the damaged heart, French researchers report.

The trial of cyclosporine involved 58 people whose blocked arteries were reopened after heart attacks. It was spurred by several lines of research, noted study lead author Dr. Michel Ovize, professor of physiology and cardiology at the University of Lyon.

Migranies and Strokes

Does your migraine put you at a higher risk for heart attack and stroke? A recent study says yes. As a heart attack-survivor and migraine-sufferer, I was surprised to find out -- yes! Read more in my article originally published at MyHealthyHeartInfo.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The blood pressure, nerve, and hormonal changes wrought by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may increase the risk of heart attack during the night, new research suggests.

OSA is a common problem in which tissues in the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep causing numerous, brief episodes of interrupted breathing. The condition, which can cause extreme daytime sleepiness, can be effectively treated with a special breathing device that alleviates the blockage by pushing air into throat.

MONDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- Maintaining proper blood sugar levels after heart surgery is essential, whether one is or isn't a diabetic, a new study shows.

The British report, published in Circulation, shows that poor blood sugar control in post-heart surgery patients is linked to a fourfold increase in death and major complications, such as heart attack, neurological, kidney, lung and gastrointestinal injury.

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- If 156 million adults in the United States took better care of themselves, the average American would live 1.3 years longer, and the number of heart attacks would fall by 63 percent.

That's the conclusion of a joint study released Monday that combined the resources of the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society.