Brilinta ( ticagrelor ), a blood thinner approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last summer, has been found to not only reduce first time cardiovascular events, but also to lower recurrent heart events or deaths.

Following a heart attack, most patients can expect to take a blood thinner and aspirin to reduce their future cardiovascular risk. Recent findings suggest varying doses of aspirin successfully lower this risk.

As patients are living longer, the need to assess heart treatments for the elderly has increased. Investigators have found that placing a stent in the neck's carotid artery of patients over the age of 70 is both safe and effective.

Feeling a sense of disinterest or hopelessness after a stroke? It may be depression. Stroke or mini stroke survivors are more likely to become depressed as compared to the general population.

When it comes to identifying strokes in emergency situations, paramedics are usually right when they pinpoint a patient suspected of having a stroke. A recent study revealed they could predict them with accuracy of 99.3 percent.

If you're feeling sleepy or irritable during the day, you may not be getting enough sleep. And not enough sleep could mean you're at higher risk for a range of heart problems.

A second large study has revealed less than stellar results for an experimental Merck blood thinner. Researchers found that while it reduced cardiovascular events, it also increased the risk of major bleeding.

Those suffering from psoriasis are known to be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease like heart attack and stroke. A new treatment for psoriasis may also significantly decrease the cardiovascular risk. In the treatment, a compound known as adalimumab (sold as Humira ) is injected under the skin. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology and showed that the treatment decreased skin damage and improved cardiovascular health indicators. Ask your dermatologist about psoriasis’ relation with cardiovascular disease. Robert Bissonn...

Price tag doesn't always signify the success of a treatment. An expensive surgical procedure designed to prevent recurrent strokes does not appear to be any more effective than simply taking medication.

Women have another reason to raise their glasses. Moderate alcohol consumption appears to lessen the risk of stroke among women.