"Going to the dogs" may be a good thing—when it comes to healthcare, anyway. New data reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005 show that a 12-minute visit with man's best friend helped lower pressures in the heart and lungs.

NHW readers know that children can safely operate a defibrillator in case of a heart emergency. Now, a new study suggests that young people can help save lives when stroke strikes, too.

Implanting defibrillators in young people with genetic heart disorders but no history of sudden cardiac arrest is a good investment, according to a recently published study.

Previous research suggests that daytime BP values are lower in hot months than in cold months. In a recent study, however, warmer nighttime air temperatures were linked to higher BPs at night in those over age 65 taking medicines to lower BP.

Neighborhood Heart Watch (NHW) and its partner Keep the Beat recently announced ten recipients of AEDs and training as part of the initiative to place AEDs in schools across the country. Schools in Texas, West Virginia, California, and Massachusetts among others will soon be equipped with lifesaving AEDs.

Sudden cardiac arrest after being hit in the chest by a ball--a rare but usually fatal condition called commotio cordis--almost always happens in children. But while many colleges and high schools have AEDs, not many grade schools do.

Patients of any age may benefit from clot-buster therapy for stroke, according to Swiss researchers. In a recent study, doctors say that stroke severity, blood sugar levels, and time until treatment--but not age--predicted the rate of favorable outcome among 325 patients treated with tPA (tissue plasminogen activator).

People with shortness of breath may have a higher risk of dying from heart disease than those who experience chest pain or are without symptoms, say researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.