Sutent, a drug manufactured and marketed to fight stomach cancer tumors, may have the added side effect of heart problems in some patients, says a new study.

Those patients who have high blood pressure and other signs of possible heart disease should be carefully monitored if prescribed Sutent, said the researchers.

Of course, all drugs have benefits and dangers -- but is heart trouble one that you're willing to risk if fighting a stomach tumor? That's up to each patient to decide. Although cancer treatment is harsh, possible heart problems can be just as harsh if nudged incorrectly.

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In a study that was just published in the medical journal Circulation, researchers concluded that abdominal (belly) fat is indeed strongly correlated with a risk of heart disease.

In the research by British medical scientists, it was also conclude that waist-hip ratio is a more accurate predictor for heart disease than just a simple waist measurement, as those with the largest waist-hip ratio out of the 25,000+ study participants were the highest at risk for heart problems.

In a media obsessed with obesity (weight) rather than waste size, this study seemed to tinker with that notion a bit. A lead researcher on the study even said that "people whose abdominal fat puts them at higher risk for heart disease do not always appear overweight or obese". That is very true.

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Infusion therapy includes glucose, insulin and potassium -- a triumvirate thought to help patients after a heart attack occurs. Not so fast, as a new study out this week says this this kind of therapy actually increases the immediate risk of heart failure and death. However, just in some patients (not a mass problem).

The therapy, known as GIK in medical circles, has shown varied results in earlier studies. One such study showed no increased risk of death a month after a heart attack occurs, so this new study seems to refute that conclusion completely.

But, only in patients with an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction due to the specific type of electrical pattern disruption that occurs with this kind of attack. The study says that there is a lingering risk of death three days after an initial heart attack if a STEMI (as it is known) occurs compared to another kind of heart attack.

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If you've ever received swell dietary advice from a doctor of friend about how to best eat (and keep that weight off), you most likely did have an improvement in high cholesterol and blood pressure markers according to a new study.

In the study, the nutrition habits of subjects in 38 different studies were looked at, and then correlated to whether dietary advice had been given to those individuals. The advice generally consisted of lessening salt and fat intake while eating more fruits, veggies and fiber-containing products.

It's heartening to hear that those who received and followed advice increased their fruit and vegetable consumption to 1 1/4 servings per day compared to those that did not receive any dietary advice. In addition, modest declines in LDL (bad) cholesterol were noted in those that heeded the dietary advice.

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If you're familiar with the term CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), you probably have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, which causes irregular breathing and oxygen delivery during sleeptime. Beyond that, did you know that sleep apnea can contribute to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)?

Using a CPAP machine to keep that airway unobstructed can cut the risk of artery hardening by a long shot, though, according to new research. The study's main conclusion was that there is indeed a direct link between sleep apnea and hardening of the arteries.

In the study, 24 men with sleep apnea received CPAP or no treatment and were monitored for four months for the early signs of pre-clinical atherosclerosis. A decrease in atherosclerosis signs were noted among those who used the CPAP machines. Coincidence? Not on your life.

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