For decades, researchers have been intrigued by the potential heart-healthy benefits of consuming omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Now, a new analysis provides "firm evidence" that fish oil affects the electrical workings of the heart—including heart rate, a major risk factor for sudden death.

Multiple blood pressure readings taken outside the doctor's office or clinic are effective in diagnosing "masked hypertension," according to a new study. People with masked hypertension have normal blood pressure in the doctor's office but high blood pressure at other times.

In a new study from Duke University, heart patients who practiced deep breathing, listened to soothing music, and received healing touch therapy were less likely to die within six months of their heart procedures than those who did not receive the interventions.

It can happen in 1/64 of a second. A fastball, lacrosse shot, or wayward elbow to the chest can be deadly. While injuries on the field and in the athletic arena are common, no one anticipates that a young athlete will die of a mysterious but all-too-common syndrome called commotio cordis.

New data suggest that an older woman's risk of dying from heart disease may be linked to the number of family and social relationships she has. Among 503 women with symptoms of coronary artery disease at the study's start, those with few personal contacts were more than twice as likely to die over the next two to four years as women with more social ties.

A protein that the heart produces during the heart's development could be redeployed after a heart attack to help the organ repair itself, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found.

Doctors say that a thorough eye exam may predict future hypertension. Tiny vessels called arterioles that supply blood to the retina appear to narrow before blood pressure exceeds normal ranges, said study coauthor Paul Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Defibrillators save lives. And minutes count. Dr. Douglas Zipes, who is spearheading the Neighborhood Heart Watch initiative to place AEDs in communities across the country, recently heard from a colleague whose father had suffered a heart attack.