Residents of countries with higher incomes and more efficient healthcare systems tend to have lower cholesterol rates. Less out-of-pocket healthcare spending also contributed to reduced cholesterol rates.

Having a brother or sister who has suffered from a stroke can exponentially increase your risk of having a stroke -- especially if the sibling suffered a stroke when they were younger than 55.

Certain easy-to-watch factors may predict which stroke patients are at risk of being rehospitalized. Pinpointing those factors can help doctors treat or more closely watch those at the highest risk.

When a defibrillator shock fails to restart the heart following cardiac arrest, patients are more likely to survive if they receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with an emphasis on chest compressions.

Men with diabetes may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, even if they have no other risk factors. The risk is for diabetic men on insulin therapy and was not as high for men using other therapies for diabetes.

Diabetes puts you at risk for a number of complications. Your risk of complications may be even greater the longer you have the disease. That is why it is important to spot and treat diabetes early.

Brilinta ( ticagrelor ), a blood thinner approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last summer, has been found to not only reduce first time cardiovascular events, but also to lower recurrent heart events or deaths.

The toxic side effects of some cancer medications are well-known. They can cause everything from nausea and hair loss to joint pain and fatigue. One very serious side effect is being under-reported and jeopardizing patients.

Individuals exposed to a higher number of stressful traumatic events in their lives may be more likely to suffer higher levels of cardiovascular inflammation later in life.

Following a heart attack, most patients can expect to take a blood thinner and aspirin to reduce their future cardiovascular risk. Recent findings suggest varying doses of aspirin successfully lower this risk.