heart disease

Atrial fibrillation affected by your genes

Researchers have observed a connection between certain genes and atrial fibrillation. Their study makes an important contribution to understanding different risk factors.

New technique yields healthier blood vessels after heart surgery

Surgeons often take a blood vessel from your leg to graft onto your heart during a coronary bypass surgery. The practice can lead to scarring in many patients, which in turn can cause another heart attack. A new technique under development may help prevent this problem.

Difficult to motivate patients to change

Patients with heart disease need guidance in how to adopt healthier eating habits, quit smoking and be more physically active. The health care system isn’t consistently providing that help.

Living longer — but with illness and pain

We are living longer than ever, but with more years of chronic illness and pain. Researchers are asking, shouldn’t health care authorities be focusing more on curing these chronic illnesses?