Heart & Circulation, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 31, 2017

How Fast Do You Walk? Your Answer Could Predict Your Risk of Heart Disease Death

A simple question — how fast do you walk? — may help researchers determine who has a higher risk of death from heart disease, a new study from the United Kingdom suggests. The study found that middle-age adults who said they typically walk at a slow pace were about twice...

Jun 30, 2017

Atorvastatin (Generic Lipitor): Uses, Dosage & Side Effects

Atorvastatin is a prescription medicine used to treat high cholesterol. It is marketed as a calcium salt under the brand name Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), produced by Pfizer. It is also available as a generic medicine. Atorvastatin is one of the most popular medicines for treating high cholesterol. Tens of millions...

May 31, 2017

Drugs and Carrie Fisher: How Cocaine, MDMA Affect Heart

Actress Carrie Fisher had a number of drugs in her system, including cocaine and MDMA, when she went into cardiac arrest before her death in December. But how do these drugs affect the heart? Fisher experienced what appeared to be a cardiac arrest at the end of a long flight...

Apr 30, 2017

Gluten-Free Diets Don't Lower Heart Disease Risk

Gluten-free diets are popular these days, but a new study finds that avoiding gluten won't lower your risk of heart disease. In fact, the researchers say that gluten-free diets could pose health concerns because people who go gluten free tend to lower their intake of whole grains — an ingredient...

May 31, 2018

Blood in Your Veins Is Not Blue — Here's Why It's Always Red

Human blood is red because of the protein hemoglobin, which contains a red-colored compound called heme that's crucial for carrying oxygen through your bloodstream. Heme contains an iron atom that binds to oxygen; it's this molecule that transports oxygen from your lungs to other parts of the body. Chemicals appear...

May 31, 2018

Blood Cells Can Transform into Brain Cells, New Study Shows

Unless you're a werewolf or a superhero, you can't easily transform into something you're not — but your cells can. Scientists recently found a way to convert an immune-system cell into a neuron — two cells with totally different shapes and very different functions. The hope is that the technique...

Mar 31, 2018

How a Stranded Nurse Saved His Own Life During a Heart Attack

What do you do if you're in the middle of nowhere and you have a heart attack? If you're a nurse alone in Western Australia, apparently the answer is, save your own life, damn it. A case report published March 8 in The New England Journal of Medicine tells the...

Dec 31, 2017

How Getting the Flu May Put You at Risk of a Heart Attack

The flu can be a serious illness itself, but it may also increase the risk of having a heart attack, a new study from Canada finds. The study found that patients' risk of a heart attack was six times higher during the first week following a flu diagnosis, compared with...

Jul 31, 2019

The Circulatory System: An Amazing Circuit That Keeps Our Bodies Going

The circulatory system, also known as the cardiovascular system, is a vast network of organs and blood vessels that acts both as a delivery and waste removal system for the body. Nutrients, oxygen and hormones are delivered to every cell and as these necessities are provided, waste products such as...

Jul 18, 2018

More Pregnant Women Are Having Heart Attacks. But Why?

Women who are pregnant may not spend much time worrying about their own hearts, but a new study suggests that the risk of having a heart attack during pregnancy or within six months of giving birth is on the rise in the U.S. Researchers found that, from 2002 to 2014,...

Jul 24, 2018

'Good' Cholesterol May Be Bad for Some People

Having high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called good cholesterol, is usually considered positive. But that might not be true for everyone: According to a new study, higher levels of HDL cholesterol may not always be healthy for the hearts of postmenopausal women. HDL cholesterol protects the heart...

Jul 25, 2018

This Blood Test Can Detect Brain Injuries, But Some Doctors Say It Might Be Pointless

A new blood test approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to detect brain injuries might reduce the number of potentially unnecessary brain scans, according to a new study. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — which can range from relatively mild conditions (such as a concussion) to severe ones (such...

Aug 21, 2018

Gut Bacteria Enzyme Can Transform a Blood Cell's Type

The key to changing blood types may be in the gut. Enzymes made by bacteria in the human digestive tract can strip the sugars that determine blood type from the surface of red blood cells in the lab, a new study finds. That's important, because those sugars, or antigens, can...

Aug 27, 2018

What Forehead Wrinkles Might Tell You About Your Heart Health

No one likes getting wrinkles, but a new study suggests that some wrinkles may be more than just a sign of aging — they might signal heart disease risk. The study, from researchers in France, found that people with numerous, deep forehead wrinkles — more than is typical for their...

Aug 28, 2018

If You Have Heart Disease, Too Much 'Good' Cholesterol May Be Harmful

When it comes to so-called good cholesterol, a new study suggests there could be truth to the phrase too much of a good thing. The study, from a team of researchers in Atlanta, found that, in people with cardiovascular disease, very high levels of good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL)...