AJCN.org - Two new studies on resveratrol and red wine point to their possible benefits for body fat metabolism and vascular endothelial function.
The “French Paradox” refers to relatively low cardiovascular disease prevalence in France despite high dietary saturated fat consumption and cigarette smoking. Among factors thought to provide cardioprotective benefits to the French is red [...]

AJCN.org - Dietary recommendations related to maintaining a healthy heart routinely suggest substituting low-fat or nonfat dairy products for their full-fat counterparts. However, a growing literature is beginning to question this long-held and dogmatic belief, with several studies actually documenting inverse relations between dairy products and cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, researchers have identified compounds relatively unique [...]

ACPonline.org - The effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for weight loss have been frequently debated. According to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment, but a low-carb diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors, especially the HDL [...]

Uni-Heidelberg.de - Acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance in patients suffering from chronic heart failure, and reduce the inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha. This was determined in a clinical pilot study by the team headed by Dr. Johannes Backs, physician and study director at the Department of Internal Medicine III of Heidelberg University Hospital. The needles do not [...]

In patients with pre-existing heart or lung disease, being exposed to high levels of traffic-related air pollution is associated with reduced heart rate variability (HRV) - a risk factor for sudden cardiac death, reports a study in the July 2010 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Using portable monitors to measure personal exposure to air pollution [...]

UCSF.edu - High concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure, improve the health of blood vessels and increase the number of circulating blood-vessel-forming cells in patients with heart disease, according to a new study by UCSF cardiologists and researchers. The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols – such as cocoa products (e.g. dark chocolate), [...]