Heart disease

Study backs more aggressive treatment of high blood pressure

Patients who got their blood pressure well below today's usually recommended level significantly cut their risk of heart disease and death, the National Institutes of Health announced Friday. The benefit was strong enough that NIH stopped the study about a year early.

"This study provides potentially life-saving information," declared Dr. Gary Gibbons, director of NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Ten things every woman needs to know about her heart

You probably don’t think about your heart on a daily basis. Yes, it beats faster when you chase your kids or your partner brings you roses, and it races during scary movies. But you might not really think about ways to protect your heart's health. Luckily, a little knowledge can go a long way toward preventing heart disease. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Heart disease is the leading killer of women.