A new joint report by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention finds that the overall health of the nation has decreased over the past year, despite some progress being made in several key health areas.

According to the 2007 America's Health Rankings list, Vermont tops the list as the nation's healthiest state, beating out Minnesota for the first time in four years. Minnesota dropped to the second spot, followed by Hawaii, New Hampshire and Connecticut to round out the top five

Pregnant women with pre-eclampsia have a greater risk of heart disease in the future, according to two new studies.

Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition during which a pregnant woman's blood pressure increases to an abnormal level and can pose danger to the mother and her unborn baby. It affects about five percent of all first time pregnancies

With the peak of flu season approaching, health officials warn that death from influenza is more common among individuals with heart disease than among patients with any other chronic medical condition. However, according to a new nationwide survey of heart disease patients more than one in three heart disease patients (37 percent) do not plan to get a flu shot this year. In fact, only half (53 percent) received their flu shot last year, despite their serious medical condition(s).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu and its severe complications

A pungent clove of garlic can be good for the cardiovascular system, according to a new research conducted by scientists at The University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Their findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that garlic is rich in allicin, an organic polysulphides. When allicin is broken down into sulphur compounds, these react with red blood cells and produce hydrogen sulphide which relaxes the blood vessels, keeps blood flowing easily and prevents blood clots and oxidative damage

Every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about 36,000 people die from influenza (flu) and more than 200,000 are hospitalized due to complications from it. According to health officials scientific studies have shown that death from the flu is more common among people with cardiovascular disease than any other chronic condition.

Obviously heart patients are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as flu shots are available however even if they wait it would still be beneficial because the flu season often lasts well into March