Spicing up lunch with the addition of fiery peppers may do the heart favors. Capsaicin , a substance that adds the heat to a variety of peppers, including jalapenos and habaneros , has been found to improve heart and blood vessel health.

When patients show up at the emergency room complaining of chest pain, they are usually admitted for a gamut of testing for heart problems, the most serious of which could be a blocked coronary artery. A non-invasive test may help speed up that test.

Patients with a heart arrhythmia aren't the only ones who could benefit from a pacemaker. Those with neurally mediated synope (NMS; a condition where the brain does not regulate heart rate and blood pressure, prompting fainting spells) could also benefit.

For patients with stubborn cholesterol that is not easily lowered with statins or traditional care, an experimental injection of antibodies may do the trick. It has been found to offer a substantial cholesterol improvement.

Previous studies have shown mixed results when it comes to debating whether coronary artery bypass surgery is safer "on pump" with the heart stopped or on a beating heart.

A patient's own bone marrow cells may be able to repair hearts weakened by heart failure by improving their pumping ability. The improvement in a recent study was considered small, but significant. The research, though still limited in size, marked the largest study to date in using stem cells to repair heart damage caused by chronic ischemic heart disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Eat healthy foods to protect your heart. Dr. Emerson Perin , director of clinical research for cardiovascular medicine at the Texas Heart Institute and the study’s lead investigator, said th...

Following hospitalization, heart patients may do significantly better in remembering to take their medications with intervention that includes reminders, checklists and educational materials.

Grappling with blood pressure that is slightly elevated? Eating raisins regularly may offer a significant blood pressure benefit, says the first controlled research to study the dried grapes.

A second large study has revealed less than stellar results for an experimental Merck blood thinner. Researchers found that while it reduced cardiovascular events, it also increased the risk of major bleeding.

As healthcare has improved, it's no longer uncommon for patients to live past age 90. Guidelines do not currently address older heart attack patients receiving a stent to prop open a blocked artery.