C-Reactive Protein, widely regarded as a risk factor for hypertension and other forms of cardiovascular disease, plays a direct role in the onset of hypertension, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

Obesity and its many related health hazards have become a serious and growing problem worldwide. While environmental and lifestyle factors play a key role in the development of obesity, genetic variation may determine an individual's susceptibility to weight gain and to the rise of obesity-related health risks.

Researchers have developed a more accurate way to predict the risk of developing cardiovascular disease among women, according to a study in the February 14 issue of JAMA.

Exposure to second-hand smoke at work, home or elsewhere results in a disproportionate rise in markers that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, University of Nottingham researchers have found.

When it comes to some of today's health issues, 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices do help reduce risk factors related to certain diseases.

The study suggests that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-a highly sensitive technique that provides three-dimensional views of tissue at the molecular level-effectively measured macrophages or white blood cells, in the arterial walls of blood vessels.

By treating sooner and more aggressively, U.S. physicians may actually save money by reducing the overall economic burden of cardiovascular disease associated with hypertension, the authors suggest. One concern about more aggressive treatment is that some patients might receive medications they don't need.

Psychosocial factors, such as cynical distrust, chronic stress and depression, may be associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers measured in the blood, which in turn are related to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the January 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Meta-analysis provides evidence that cardiovascular risk is greater with metabolic syndrome than with individual factors alone

In an article published in the January 18, 2007, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Gerard Anderson, PhD, professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, highlights the need for more international assistance to address chronic non-communicable conditions affecting people living in low and middle income countries.

New journal starts publication by looking at controlling the No. 1 cause of death

A simple blood test for the protein NT-proBNP accurately predicts the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and death in patients with known cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by a researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.