News on Heart and Vascular Diseases

Heart and Vascular Diseases
The human circulatory and nervous system are shown through a medical rendering of an adult man.
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Research Features
Why mental stress can take a toll on the heart
Insufficient cardiovascular response to mental stress linked to reduced blood flow in the heart among people with heart disease Imagine walking through a park and suddenly spotting a bear. Normally your heart starts beating faster and your blood vessels constrict. That’s the sympathetic nervous system preparing your body for a “flight or fight”...
illustration of the human cardiovascular system
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Research Feature
Unlocking the mysteries of a heart disease trigger
What researchers are learning about clonal hematopoiesis As the body ages, it is normal for changes in cells to occur. “Cells divide every day and mutations happen,” said Emma M. Groarke, M.D., an attending hematologist and researcher in NHLBI’s Hematopoiesis and Bone Marrow Failure Laboratory. “Most of the time they don’t have any effect.” Yet...
A woman drinks a glass of water
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News Release
Good hydration linked to healthy aging
NIH findings may provide early clues about increased risks for advanced biological aging and premature death Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a National Institutes of Health study...
An artery is shown with early accumulation of plaque.
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News Release
Study challenges “good” cholesterol’s role in universally predicting heart disease risk
Lower levels of HDL cholesterol were associated with increased risks for heart attacks in white but not Black adults, and higher levels were not protective for either group A National Institutes of Health-supported study found that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, often called the “good cholesterol,” may not be as effective as scientists...
Healthy leg artery on an abstract blue background
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News Release
Bypass surgery favorable for initial treatment of chronic limb-threatening ischemia
Certain adults with this artery-blocking condition may see more benefits with an open bypass compared to less-invasive procedures to improve circulation Performing open bypass surgery to restore circulation for people with a severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD) – a condition that limits blood flow to the legs and feet – resulted in better...
Photo of young African-American man sitting on a couch and checking blood pressure with upper arm cuff and monitor.
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News Release
NIH-funded study shows blood pressure levels rose during pandemic
Telemedicine, home-monitoring may have helped lessen impact Adults with hypertension saw a small, but consequential, rise in their blood pressure levels during the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the number of times they had their blood pressure measured dropped significantly, according to a study supported by the National...
A clinician talks to an adult man in a medical setting.
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News Release
NIH-supported study finds racial disparities in advanced heart failure treatment
White adults were twice as likely as Black adults to receive mechanical heart pumps or heart transplants Black adults treated at advanced heart failure centers received potentially life-changing therapies, such as transplants and heart pumps, about half as often as white adults, possibly due to racial bias, a small National Institutes of Health...