The inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis can affect more than the joints; it also poses a threat to the heart. When it comes to protecting the heart health of rheumatoid arthritis patients, certain drugs are falling short.

For patients at risk of having a heart attack, angioplasty to open clogged arteries and placement of a stent to prop open the artery are common. Debate still remains over the most effective type of stent, however.

After an artery-opening procedure following a heart attack, some patients take Plavix ( clopidogrel ) to treat or prevent a blood clot. Though the drug isn't as effective in some individuals, genetic testing is not needed, a recent study suggests.

Heart attack treatment can be tricky because diagnosing it may require numerous tests for an actual confirmation. A more sensitive diagnostic biomarker test could immediately rule out a heart attack.

A larger number of hospitals are offering an emergency artery-opening procedure following a heart attack. This may do little to help patients though, since access to care has improved very little.

If you're planning to overindulge in food or alcoholic beverages over the holidays, make sure you don't overlook or blow off what could be a serious heart problem.

Patients had generally been urged to follow guidelines suggesting that they schedule non-emergency angioplasty, an artery opening procedure common after a heart attack, at hospitals with a dedicated surgical team.

The number of strokes experienced by Americans is declining, but substantial heart health improvements are still needed as larger, higher calorie meals become more popular and obesity continues to rise.

A protein embedded in blood vessel walls may be key to preventing second or third heart attacks. Researchers suspect that stopping dangerous cell growth after a vascular injury may be the key to prevention.

Stem cell transplant patients may not only be at risk during treatment. A new study suggests that a decade later they are still more susceptible to psychological conditions and chronic illness.