African Americans who smoke appear to have more than twice the risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to those who do not smoke, a new study has found. The findings—the first up-close look at the relationship between smoking and coronary heart disease in this population—also examined the risk for plaque buildup in the arteries of...
For more than a decade, NHLBI’s Learn More Breathe Better SM program has worked with leading lung health organizations around the country to educate, engage, and empower the more than 16 million Americans living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as their families, caregivers, and health care providers. As the nation marks...
Peter Libby, M.D., never imagined nearly 40 years ago that his research would contribute to the current understanding of how the novel coronavirus targets and ravages the blood vessels in people with COVID-19. In the 1980s, Libby, then an assistant professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, was the first to discover that arterial...
Could bring improved diagnostics and treatments for dementia, stroke, brain trauma, and more The blood-brain barrier has been called one of neurology’s greatest challenges. The thin, selectively permeable membrane acts almost like plastic wrap, protecting the brain tissue from dangerous pathogens and toxins in the blood. In short, it maintains the...
Not so long ago, when doctors saw a patient with the inflammatory skin condition psoriasis, their first line of attack was to address the signs they could see—red, itchy, scaly patches, mostly on the knees, elbows, trunk and scalp. But research over the last several years is forcing a rethinking of the very nature of this common disease. Rather...
Months ago, when news came flooding in about the dire toll the novel coronavirus can take on the body, so did the phone calls to Beth Kozel, M.D., Ph.D. A clinical geneticist in the Division of Intramural Research (DIR) at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Kozel cares for adult and pediatric patients with rare connective tissue...
Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have launched a key study to explore the safety and effectiveness of convalescent plasma in treating patients who have recently (within the last week) developed mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 disease. The study, which focuses on patients not yet hospitalized, comes on the heels of an...
The coronavirus pandemic has caused tragedy and turmoil for millions of people around the world, but it has been particularly unkind to one group whose health journey is often overlooked: Those with sickle cell disease. A growing number of studies now suggest that people with this painful genetic blood disorder who also are infected with SARS-CoV-2...
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt daily living, researchers are taking a closer look at one requirement for health that many people take for granted: sleep. And they’ve concluded, perhaps not surprisingly, that improving our sleep schedule and quality is an important part of coping with these stressful times and defending against...
NHLBI expands access to diverse genetic data, creating more possibilities for personalized medicine It was a big moment nearly four years ago when NHLBI’s Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program (TOPMed) released nearly 9,000 whole genomes to a limited group of researchers. The genomes—complete sets of people’s DNA—were the first the program had...
A new smartphone app could be a boon for adolescents, young adults When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug hydroxyurea to help reduce the excruciating pain suffered by people with sickle cell disease, the health care community was hopeful. The year was 1998, and the prospect of a drug that could offer significant relief from...