Skip Legault appears in a TV ad where he explains how he lost a leg, had various heart attacks, and a stroke, all before the age of 30 because he was a smoker. Skip, 48, told the New York Daily News that he is still a smoker. Even though the ad gives the impression that one is invited to follow Skip out of the smoking habit, it seems to be more an ad about “Do as I say, not as I do” rather than a “Look what happened to me, don’t let it happen to you” type ad.

Bill and June Bocalatte work out together several times a week, but married for nearly four decades, they say it’s love that keeps them strong. “Having the companionship, having someone to lean on, to talk to, I think that helps a lot with your peace of mind, and keeps you healthy,” June says.It appears there may be some facts to support those feelings.

Is an aspirin a day good for you, and how much should you take? Ten years after the FDA issued recommendations about the use of aspirin for people who have had heart attacks or are at risk for them, it may be a good time to talk to your doctor about the aspirin you’re taking.

As American Heart Month, February is the ideal time to initiate the lifestyle changes that can help lower your risk of heart disease. Coronary disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women in the United States, affecting one in four Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, a few simple measures could make those numbers much lower.

Everyone has felt the discomfort associated with cold hands. But for individuals with Raynaud’s Disease, cold weather and/or stress can cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to coldness, numbness, color change, throbbing and swelling of extremities including fingers and toes. Biofeedback has been shown to be highly effective in treating Raynaud’s Disease.

John C. Quindry, an assistant professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science, is studying the role short term exercise plays in protecting the heart muscle during a severe heart attack.His work is funded by a grant from the the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct the study. “In the United States, where we have become very sedentary and our diets have become inappropriate, heart disease is the No. 1 killer,” Quindry said.

Much controversy has developed over the past year about the safety and potential complications of drug-eluting heart stents, increasing the risk of possible fatal blood clots, even years after an angioplasty procedure. However, a new Canadian study led by investigators from Ontario’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and McMaster University’s Program for Assessment of Technologies in Health, tells a different story.

University of Vermont cardiovascular physician-scientists Mary Cushman, M.D., and Matthew Watkins, M.D., are conducting cutting-edge research on the number-one killer of men and women in the United States — cardiovascular disease.

A researcher at the University of Virginia Health System is demonstrating why so many people with diabetes may have heart disease. Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Zhenqi Liu has shown that in healthy humans, insulin greatly increases blood flow in heart muscle. His work was recently published in the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Strawberries are not only delicious and nutrient-rich, new research from Harvard Medical School found that they may offer cardiovascular disease protection. The new study found that those who reported eating the most strawberries experienced lower blood levels of C-reactive protein, a biomarker for inflammation in the blood vessels.