A patient's own stem cells may be the key to repairing the heart after a heart attack. Though the cells might be scarce, in a twist that sounds like science fiction, they can be grown using stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

Stents are tubes that are used to treat narrowed or weakened arteries. In many cases, they can be lifesaving. But are some types of stents safer than others?

U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials are contemplating a proposal to lower the risk classification of external pacemakers from the highest risk category to labeling them a moderate risk.

There's a reason that women are often misdiagnosed after a heart attack. In women, heart disease is more likely to occur in the small blood vessels, not major arteries as is generally the case for men.

It's long been suspected that there is nothing that can be done to lower your genetic risk of heart disease. Scientists have since found that one gene that is a strong marker for cardiovascular disease may be inherently modifiable.

There are two kinds of cholesterol: HDL and LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is known as the "good" cholesterol, and it may be beneficial for patients with diabetes.

Men and women are just wired differently. And for this reason it makes sense that measures taken to identify and treat heart disease in men might not make sense in women.

There has been a steady decline in the number of Americans with coronary heart disease in recent years, yet rates vary by race and ethnicity, and residents of some states have a risk that is more than double other geographic regions.

Smoking doesn't discriminate -- leading to health risks for anyone who picks up the habit. For women, that risk may be exaggerated after a heart attack.

Testosterone does more than just protect muscle strength and sexual health. In fact, naturally high levels of testosterone may be beneficial to the heart in older men.