For patients hospitalized with an acute illness, prescribing rivaroxaban for 45 days after discharge doesn’t significantly reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) or VTE-related death, according to research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Smoking rates have been dropping steadily in Europe since the 1970s, but, according to new research published in PLOS ONE, 11- to 15-year-olds are using tobacco more frequently.

The American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association this week pledged $6.5 million to a three-year initiative to improve Nebraska’s stroke response system, the Omaha World-Herald has reported.

New research published this month in Experimental Physiology suggests just 10 minutes of sitting or lying down could be enough to impair blood vessel function in the lower legs, but simple movements and foot exercises can work against that strain to restimulate blood flow and circumvent any deleterious effects.

Two studies published Aug. 21 in JAMA highlighted the link between heart and brain health. One found older individuals who met fewer metrics for ideal cardiovascular health had an increased risk of dementia, while the other showed that younger adults who didn’t achieve similar standards already had decreased cerebral blood flow and more white matter lesions.

Mothers who breastfed at least one child showed a 23 percent reduced risk of stroke compared to those who never breastfed, according to an observational study published Aug. 22 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Middle-aged men with the highest cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels live an average of five years longer than peers with age-adjusted CRF in the bottom 5 percent of the population, according to a study with 46 years of follow-up.

Chagas disease—the result of infection with a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi (T cruzi)—causes heart disease, including heart failure, stroke, arrhythmia and sudden death in one-third of those infected, according to a scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association and the Inter-American Society of Cardiology.