Two studies published Aug. 21 in JAMA highlighted the link between heart and brain health. One found older individuals who met fewer metrics for ideal cardiovascular health had an increased risk of dementia, while the other showed that younger adults who didn’t achieve similar standards already had decreased cerebral blood flow and more white matter lesions.

Mothers who breastfed at least one child showed a 23 percent reduced risk of stroke compared to those who never breastfed, according to an observational study published Aug. 22 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Middle-aged men with the highest cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels live an average of five years longer than peers with age-adjusted CRF in the bottom 5 percent of the population, according to a study with 46 years of follow-up.

Chagas disease—the result of infection with a parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi (T cruzi)—causes heart disease, including heart failure, stroke, arrhythmia and sudden death in one-third of those infected, according to a scientific statement issued by the American Heart Association and the Inter-American Society of Cardiology.

New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests stroke patients receive better care at teaching hospitals and have reduced rates of readmission during the early stages of their recovery.

New research published in The Lancet Neurology suggests four factors can help physicians predict whether intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients are likely to experience further bleeding.

Normal daily doses of rivaroxaban (15 to 20 mg) are linked to triple the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) when compared to aspirin, according to a meta-analysis of five randomized trials published Aug. 13 in JAMA Neurology.

New research published in the European Heart Journal highlights how overall cerebrovascular disease deaths in Europe have declined. But that improvement has leveled off in some EU countries.