If your arteries have dangerous plaque build-up, determining your risks for stroke and heart attack can help guide self-care and medical care. Certain imaging tests may aid in predicting those risks.

Following a low-fat diet may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. A Mediterranean-style eating plan, however, may help you live longer.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart and vessel disease, but can blood pressure patterns in young adults affect heart health later in life?

Your mouth may give clues to your overall health. Inflammation linked with gum disease, for example, may play a role in heart disease. Treating gum disease, however, may not lower heart risks.

Being overweight or obese can raise the risk for heart disease and stroke. While losing weight may help, shedding pounds can be hard. There may be other ways for overweight people to lower these risks.

The expression "To have your heart in your mouth” may have a new meaning. Gum health has been shown to influence heart health, and good oral hygiene may even slow hardening of the arteries.

The most widely prescribed medication for diabetes, metformin, also has heart health benefits for diabetes patients. For those without diabetes, however, its effects on the heart may be limited.

In general, women under the age of 60 are less likely than men to get heart disease. Having diabetes, however, can be a game changer, potentially raising a woman’s heart disease risk to that of a man.

Waking up with a hangover can leave you with a headache for the rest of the day. Recent research suggests that it also may lead to lasting damage to blood vessels.

Stenting is a common procedure to treat blocked arteries. While the benefits may outweigh possible complications, stenting still poses risks, including a higher chance of stroke in older patients.