Hypertension is the most prevalent treatable risk factor for stroke. One in two adults are affected by it, and the risk of being hypertensive during a lifetime is about 90%. Despite this, the underlying mechanisms by which raised blood pressure can cause cardiovascular disease are poorly understood. Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension focus heavily on mean systolic blood pressure.

Computed tomography (CT) colonography can be used as a primary screening tool for colorectal cancer in adults over the age of 65, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

(HealthDay) -- Aspirin works as well as Plavix in patients with blocked leg arteries, a new European study finds.

(AP) -- Millions of people have endured a colonoscopy, believing the dreaded exam may help keep them from dying of colon cancer. For the first time, a major study offers clear evidence that it does.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) today announced major changes in how the nation's medical residency programs will be accredited in the years ahead, putting in place an outcomes-based evaluation system where the doctors of tomorrow will be measured for their competency in performing the essential tasks necessary ...

(AP) -- The Obama administration declared Alzheimer's "one of the most feared health conditions" on Wednesday as it issued a draft of a new national strategy to fight the ominous rise in this mind-destroying disease.

The more afraid a person is of a spider, the bigger that individual perceives the spider to be, new research suggests.

(AP) -- A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration overwhelmingly backed approval for a highly anticipated anti-obesity pill from Vivus Inc., a drug which the FDA previously rejected due to safety concerns.