Blood pressure might seem like just another pesky number. In fact it plays a vital role in heart health. The discovery of a protein embedded in the walls of blood vessels might make managing hypertension a little bit easier.

For some high-risk patients with blocked aortic valves, open heart surgery poses too much risk. Hoping to remedy that, doctors at John Hopkins University are testing a new device that replaces blocked heart valves.

There are countless cell types, but heart cells remain a hot commodity in regenerative medicine. That's because doctors suspect they can be used to replace lost tissue in injured hearts.

Sudden cardiac death doesn't mess around. It's as unexpected as it sounds with few clues about who or when it will strike. But a genetic link suggests some cases may be predictable.

While adult cardio patients have long had the option of a simple CT scan, the choices have been much more limited for pediatric patients. In children, the standard has been cardiac catherization, an invasive procedure that involves radiation and sedation.

Americans love salt. That affection doesn't go both ways. Consuming too much sodium and too little potassium may bring on unnecessary heath risks.

Picking up the pieces for Gulf Coast residents has been no small feat. In early 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill leaked nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, possibly causing a public health crisis.

High blood pressure patients with coronary artery disease are already at increased risk of heart attack. It turns out a commonly used, over-the-counter medication may be almost as dangerous.

There are many kinds of nuts, but there’s only one so-called "skinny nut” — pistachios. These nuts provide the most benefits with fewer calories.

Doctors have many different imaging technologies available to diagnose and treat patients. Viewing tiny arteries, particularly in heart patients, has proven much more difficult.