heart disease

Topic description and stories

Moderate drinking linked to lower risk of some – but not all – heart conditions

22 Mar 2017

Moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of several, but not all, cardiovascular diseases, according to a large study of UK adults led by...

Opinion: Population versus targeted – which approach is best for preventing heart disease?

21 Feb 2017

Should screening for heart disease be universal or targeted to those at greatest risk? Ellie Paige (Department of Public Health and Primary Care)...

Obesity linked to premature death, with greatest effect in men

14 Jul 2016

A study of 3.9 million adults published today in The Lancet has found that being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of...

‘Good’ cholesterol doesn’t always lower heart attack risk

11 Mar 2016

Some people with high levels of ‘good’ high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, contrary to...

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Combination of diabetes and heart disease substantially reduces life expectancy

07 Jul 2015

Life expectancy for people with a history of both cardiovascular disease and diabetes is substantially lower than for people with just one condition...

Blood markers could help predict outcome of infant heart surgery

06 May 2015

New research suggests it may be possible to predict an infant’s progress following surgery for congenital heart disease by analysing a number of...

Million man study examines long-term effects of blocking inflammation

26 Feb 2015

Inflammation – the body’s response to damaging stimuli – may have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease, according to a study published...

Urbanisation of rural Africa associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes

29 Jul 2014

The increasing urbanisation of rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to an explosion in incidences of heart disease and diabetes, according to...