Mylan Pharmaceuticals expanded its voluntary drug recall to include all unexpired valsartan-containing products in the U.S., the FDA announced Dec. 4. The action joins a host of other recalls over the last few months related to carcinogenic impurities being found in angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), a class of medications used to treat hypertension and heart failure.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture rolled out its final rule on school nutrition standards Dec. 6, allowing schools to ease up on whole grains, permanently serve 1 percent flavored milk and take their time reducing sodium levels in school lunches.

Liraglutide was associated with a 10 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events for patients with type 2 diabetes in a real-world population, offering hope that the cardioprotective benefits observed in randomized trials translate to regular clinical practice.

A little weight lifting can have a big impact on heart health, even in the absence of aerobic endurance training, according to recent research in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

The authors of a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine believe too many patients are being recommended statin therapy, and contend that current guidelines don’t fully consider the risks of the popular drugs.

Contrary to U.S. guidelines, early action against high BP in patients exhibiting signs of hypertension doesn’t reduce their risk of heart disease later in life, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal Nov. 21.

A new expert consensus document from the American College of Cardiology singled out liraglutide and empagliflozin as the preferred drugs in their classes to reduce cardiovascular risk among patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Smoke-free policies in public places like bars and restaurants were linked to lower systolic blood pressures (SBPs) among participants from the longitudinal CARDIA study, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.