Cardiovascular Research:African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack ♦ Link between air pollution, heart disease confirmed

African-Americans with depression more likely to have strokes, heart attack Major depressive symptoms -- perceived stress, neuroticism, life dissatisfaction -- are associated with nearly twice the increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease among African-Americans. African-Americans with depressive symptoms suffered more chronic conditions, exercised less, and had lower levels of education and income.

Social and practical barriers keep HF patients from benefits of exercise therapy Lack of social support and barriers to exercise (such as lack of transportation) reduce the amount of time heart-failure patients exercise. Assessing and eliminating barriers to exercise may reduce hospitalizations and heart disease deaths in people with heart failure.

Link between air pollution, heart disease confirmed A link between higher levels of a specific kind of air pollution in major urban areas and an increase in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations such as for heart attacks in people 65 and older has been uncovered by scientists.

Speaking multiple languages linked to better cognitive functions after stroke Bilingual patients were twice as likely as those who spoke one language to have normal cognitive function after a stroke. Bilingual patients performed better than single language patients on attention, information retrieval and organization.

Health Research: World's first GMO human embryos ♦ Exposure to air pollution may pose risk to brain structure, ♦ Tinnitus, that phantom ringing in the ears

Lot of smoke: Study examines cigarillo modification health claims Known by a variety of names, “hyping,” “champing” and “freaking” a cigarillo – a smaller, leaner type of cigar – is believed by many to significantly reduce the amount of cancer-causing properties associated with tobacco products. A new study examines such claims.

World's first GMO human embryos Chinese scientists say they've genetically modified human embryos for the very first time. The team attempted to modify the gene responsible for beta-thalassaemia, a potentially fatal blood disorder, using a gene-editing technique known as CRISPR/Cas9. Gene editing is a recently developed type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, replaced, or removed.

Cirrhosis deaths drop 41 percent from 2002 to 2012 Dramatic improvements have been found in the care of patients with cirrhosis and liver failure. They continue to recommend improved treatment strategies for patients with cirrhosis

Long-term exposure to air pollution may pose risk to brain structure, cognitive functions Air pollution, even at moderate levels, has long been recognized as a factor in raising the risk of stroke. A new study suggests that long-term exposure can cause damage to brain structures and impair cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults

In search of tinnitus, that phantom ringing in the ears About one in five people experience tinnitus, the perception of a sound -- often described as ringing -- that isn't really there. Now, researchers have taken advantage of a rare opportunity to record directly from the brain of a person with tinnitus in order to find the brain networks responsible.