Chicago: Patients with active asthma — such as any use of asthma medications, and unscheduled office or emergency visits for asthma — are at a twofold risk of having a heart attack, according to Mayo Clinic research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014.

Washington: A common over-the-counter drug that tackles pain and fever may also hold keys to a longer, healthier life, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist.

Chicago: As the holidays approach, it’s easy to slip into bad eating habits. However, poor diet increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and poor circulation – three major factors that affect overall heart health. 

Washington: A Georgia State University expert said that to prevent the deaths of 5.6 million children, strong actions are needed to discourage smoking, raise the cost of cigarettes, provide access to tobacco cessation programs, and to implement the Food and Drug Administration’s power to regulate tobacco products, among other steps.

Minneapolis: People who have sleep apnea or spend less time in deep sleep may be more likely to have changes in the brain that are associated with dementia, according to a new study published in the recent online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Ann Arbor: Patients with head and neck cancer who used antacid medicines to control acid reflux had better overall survival, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.