More HDL is better, but the benefits may depend on how you get there.

In the simplest telling of the cholesterol story, HDL (the so-called good cholesterol) fights LDL (bad cholesterol). Like knights in shining armor, HDL particles patrol the blood vessels, snatching cholesterol from circulating LDL particles and from the dangerous, gooey plaque that lines artery walls. The knights of the HDL carry their fatty cargo to the liver for recycling or disposal.

The real story isn't quite so simple. HDL is turning out to be a much more complex substance than we once believed. Instead of a ...

Wider use is in the offing for this simple blood test to gauge cardiac risk.

It isn't easy to gauge the health of the heart and arteries. Blood pressure and cholesterol are good stand-ins, but they aren't perfect. That's why researchers have explored hundreds of other tests. The one that has edged closest to widespread use is a blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP). An excess of CRP in the bloodstream signals the kind of steady, low-grade inflammation that accompanies artery-clogging atherosclerosis, a key contributor to cardiovascular disease. The test is called the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) or cardiac ...

 

Battling cancer can have long-term effects on the heart.

Treating cancer isn't yet a precise science. Although doctors are getting better at targeting tumors, there's still no magic bullet that homes in on cancer cells and destroys them without risking collateral damage to other parts of the body. The outward signs of off-target destruction include classic side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy such as hair loss, nausea, and fatigue. But there can be silent inner damage, too, sometimes to the heart and arteries. These injuries can appear immediately during therapy; other times they don't surface for years.

"Important advances ...

The Food and Drug Administration offers guidelines on how to properly dispose of leftover medications.

People with hypertension who are unsuccessful at controlling it with medications may benefit from a low-salt diet.

Quitting smoking, even after a heart attack, will likely increase a person's longevity, and even cutting back on cigarettes is beneficial.

Cardiologists offer advice to people with cardiovascular conditions who are traveling on cruise ships.

A lack of interest in sexual activity may be connected to cardiovascular issues.

Brief reports on a link between heart transplants and higher risk of skin cancer, the possibility that drinking coffee or tea may slightly lower the risk of diabetes, and atherosclerosis in mummies.

I tried taking niacin to increase my HDL but didn't like the flushing it caused. A friend told me about no-flush niacin, which works like a charm. Why not tell your readers about it?

Six months after having my knee replaced, I developed an arrhythmia. I know of this happening to others, including a friend who developed an arrhythmia after having his hip replaced. Does joint replacement surgery often cause heart rhythm problems?