Depression almost doubles the risk of developing heart disease over 12 years, according to a long-term study of twins. It contributes to the risk of heart disease as much as diabetes, high cholesterol or obesity does, says study leader and WUSTL psychiatry professor Jeffrey Scherrer.

References:

1. March 4, 2009 — Depression can break the heart in the USA Today

Gender definitely makes a difference when it comes to stroke, new research shows. WUSTL neurology professor Mark Goldberg comments.

References:

1. Feb. 20, 2009 — Women Less Apt to Get Clot-Buster, Study Finds in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 3 others.

Worms that can survive with almost no oxygen are teaching scientists how to rescue oxygen-starved cells in humans who suffer a heart attack or stroke, said WUSTL medical researcher Michael Crowder, whose study appears in Science.

References:

1. Jan. 29, 2009 — Lowly worm offers new clues on stroke, heart drugs in the Reuters

and 3 others.

While we all know that excess pounds increase your risk of certain diseases, you may not realize that where you carry the weight makes a big difference. Researchers have found that abdominal fat could be even more hazardous to your health.
WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition, explains why.

References:

1. May 23, 2006 — The hidden dangers of belly fat in the MSNBC.com

Story on the growing interest in neurointensive care treatment for stroke patients. Article mentions a 2001 critical care study by WUSTL researchers Michael Diringer and Dorothy Edwards, who studied records of more than 40,000 patients with bleeding in their brains. Patients in a regular intensive-care unit were 3.4 times as likely to die as patients in a neurointensive unit, after adjusting for the severity of the bleeding.

References:

1. Nov. 23, 2005 — In a Stroke Patient, Doctor Sees Power of Brain to Recover in the Wall Street Journal

A national study released Thursday shows diabetics in Missouri, and especially those in St. Louis, aren't doing such a good job reaching target blood sugar levels.
WUSTL medical professor and diabetes specialist Charles Kilo Sr. is teaming up with Mayor Francis Slay to raise public awareness of what Kilo calls a "major medical crisis and budgetary crisis." Slay has declared next week Diabetes Control Week to encourage diabetics to take steps to better manage their disease.
Kilo pioneered the theory 30 years ago that controlling blood sugar levels could delay or prevent life-threatening complications like heart disease and blindness in diabetics. He and a colleague refuted evidence that the complications resulted from genetics. They proved they're related to the duration of diabetes and the degree of blood sugar control.

References:

1. Sept. 29, 2005 — Report: Most Missouri diabetics at risk for complications in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 2 others.

Two prominent U.S. heart physicians said there was nothing in the drug-eluting stent trials comparing J&J's Cypher stent to Boston Scientific Corp.'s (BSX) Taxus stent, that would dissuade them from using either of the two available products. WUSTL cardiologist John Lasala, who also attended the conference, comments.

References:

1. March 8, 2005 — Two Prominent Heart Docs Still Like Taxus/Cypher Equally in the Wall Street Journal

and 1 others.