People with inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes or blood clots may be at increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis — and people with rheumatoid arthritis are at added risk for heart disease, blood clots and sleep apnea, researchers say. Their findings could improve understanding of how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops and also lead to earlier…  read on >

The chickenpox vaccine is the best way to prevent chickenpox, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the start of the U.S. chickenpox vaccination program, there has been a 90 percent drop in cases of chickenpox, the agency says. If you or a loved one does get chickenpox, the CDC has this…  read on >

Most American parents say they might have trouble distinguishing between a teen’s typical mood swings and possible signs of depression, a new survey finds. The nationwide poll of 819 parents with at least one child in middle school, junior high or high school found that while one-third were confident they could detect depression in their…  read on >

A pricey high-tech pump that maintains blood flow during heart procedures could be more dangerous to patients than its low-tech predecessor, a pair of new studies finds. The Impella device is associated with an increased risk of death, bleeding and stroke among patients undergoing angioplasty to re-open clogged arteries, two separate research teams concluded in…  read on >

Sudden cardiac death is terrifying because it’s exactly that — one minute you’re fine and the next you’re facing death, with no warning and no prior symptoms. Now, new research shows the secret to who’s at risk for cardiac arrest and who isn’t could lie in people’s genes. And a gene test might someday help…  read on >

The HPV vaccine gives parents a chance to prevent their children from developing some types of cancer, and two new studies reaffirm what past research has found — the vaccine is safe. The two studies included millions of doses of Gardasil 9 vaccine, the only vaccine currently used in the United States for the prevention…  read on >

Diabetes might be more deadly for women than men, at least when it comes to heart troubles, new research shows. Heart disease occurs an average of 15 years earlier in people with diabetes, and is their main cause of illness and death. In women, the connection between diabetes and heart disease is particularly strong. Worldwide,…  read on >

A cheap drug that’s been around for centuries as a gout treatment might also shield heart attack survivors from future heart crises, new trial results show. The drug, colchicine, is derived from a plant called the autumn crocus, researchers explained Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, in Philadelphia. In the new…  read on >

Bypass operations, angioplasty and the placement of artery-opening stents: For decades, millions of Americans have undergone these expensive, invasive procedures to help treat clogged vessels. However, the results of a large and long-awaited clinical trial suggests that, in most cases, these procedures may not have provided any benefit over medications and lifestyle changes. In fact,…  read on >