Heart Disease Still Leading Cause Of US Deaths.

USA Today  (7/9, Hellmich) reports, "Although the rate of death from cardiovascular disease declined by 31% from 1998 to 2008, the disease is still the leading cause of death in the USA." About "one in every three deaths are from heart disease and stroke, according to the heart association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." In particular, "the article...discusses heart disease in men, who 'suffer from the disease at a younger age because they 'tend to have higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol, and they are more likely to be smokers than women,' says [Russell] Luepker, program director of the Minnesota Heart Survey, a population-based study that tracks trends in heart disease."

        Higher Levels Of Omega-6 Fatty Acid May Be Linked To Reduced CHD Risk. MedPage Today  (7/9, Petrochko) reports, "Higher levels of omega-6 fatty acid in the blood were associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), results of a nested case-control study found." Investigators found that "patients with the highest plasma concentration of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids had a significantly lower risk of CHD compared with those who had the lowest concentrations (adjusted OR 0.84 95% CI 0.76 to 0.92, P<0.0001)." The researchers "also saw a weak but significant relationship between higher blood levels of saturated fatty acids and greater risk of CHD." The study was published in PLoS Medicine.