Stubborn belly fat may harm more than your image. Extra weight around the middle may actually cause endothelial cells to function less efficiently, potentially damaging blood vessels and increasing the risk for high blood pressure.

Even modest weight gain can cause damage, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Forty-three participants of a normal, healthy weight were asked to either gain 4 kg (about 9 pounds) or maintain their current weight over a period of 16 weeks.

Those that gained weight experienced “impaired endothelial function, even in the absence of changes in blood pressure.” It was the visceral fat (fat that surrounds the organs), not the subcutaneous fat (the thin layer of fat under the skin) that had the greatest effect on cell function.

Dr. Virend K. Somers of the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine says endothelial function is a good indicator of blood vessel health.

“There is something about fat deposited in the belly that makes it potentially hazardous to health, because impaired endothelial function has been linked to increased risk of high blood pressure and blood vessel disease,” he told Health Day.

Endothelial cells line the insides of blood vessels. When these cells dysfunction, blood vessels and arteries may have difficulty contracting. This can cause high blood pressure and, further down the road, cardiovascular disease. Good reason to lose weight, right? The good news is endothelial cells begin to function normally following weight loss.

Want to learn more about how belly fat (visceral fat) affects your body? Visit Mayo Clinic. You can also read the full story by Health Day or see the report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The FDA has just approved the first generic version of Lovenox, a popular blood thinner. The drug’s entry into the market could mean hundreds of dollars in savings for someone who depends on the drug for stroke/heart disease treatment.

Lovenox is used to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis, a condition that, if left unchecked, can cause stroke or pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lung).

Momenta, the company whose technology was used to produce the new generic (M-Enoxaparin), has been awaiting approval for five years. They’ve spent the last half-decade battling Sanofi-Aventis, makers of Lovenox, over the drug’s efficacy.

According to Sanofi-Aventis, the biologically derived drug is complex and difficult to reproduce, and that it could fail with even the slightest error. They argue that the new generic may not be safe for consumers. The U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. is considering the company’s case, but for now Sandoz/Momenta’s M-Enoxaparin is legal and available for use.

“The approval of M-Enoxaparin marks a key milestone for Momenta, and we are extremely pleased,” said Momenta president and CEO Craig Wheeler in a press release. “This is the first product based on Momenta’s technology platform to be approved, and demonstrates our ability to characterize and develop a complex mixture drug like Lovenox.”

Read the original article in the New York Times, or read Momenta’s press release for more details.

What do your teeth and your heart have in common? Plaque. A new study says that your care of one could affect the other. In a recent study, cardiovascular problems occurred more often for people who brushed their teeth less than once a day.

Researchers from the University College London recruited nearly 12,000 for the study. They followed participants for an average of eight years and reported a total of 555 cardiovascular disease “events”, including heart attacks and bypass surgeries.

Participants who brushed their teeth less than once daily were 70 percent more likely to experience such an event. This study also linked less frequent brushing to a higher incidence of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker found in the blood that’s associated with heart disease.

This isn’t the first study to associate poor dental health with poor heart health, either. Previous studies have linked heart disease to periodontal (gum) disease.

“We were surprised to find a relationship between tooth brushing frequency and both cardiovascular disease and inflammatory markers in the blood," study co-author Professor Richard Watt of University College London told Business Week. “More research is needed to test if improving patients’ oral hygiene to reduce their gum inflammation has an effect on cardiovascular disease risk.”

Visit Business Week to read more about the study, or see Watt’s research in British Medical Journal.

Do you suffer from recurring sinus problems? If so, a friend's cigarette could be to blame. Two out of five cases of chronic sinusitis may be due to exposure to secondhand smoke.

Sinusitis occurs when the sinuses become swollen or infected. According to Mayo Clinic, sinusitis is usually the result of a cold, allergies or other nasal problems, and can easily be treated with antibiotics, heat (to relieve sinus pressure) or a variety of over-the counter medications.

When the condition persists for more than eight weeks or recurs frequently, this is known as chronic sinusitis. Secondhand smoke contains over 50 known carcinogens; these chemicals can also cause heart problems, asthma attacks and nasal irritation.

Researchers from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, recruited 612 non-smokers to participate in a study investigating the relationship of secondhand smoke (SHS) and its source to chronic sinusitis. All had been exposed to SHS for five years prior to the study, and half had been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis (CRS).

Researchers focused on four locations where participants were primarily exposed—home, work, public places and social functions. All showed a marked relationship between secondhand smoke exposure and incidence of chronic sinusitis, especially at social functions (51 percent) and in public places (90 percent).

Although levels of exposure were significantly lower for nonsmokers who had not been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis, study co-author Amanda Holm, MPH, says even modest levels of exposure carry risk.

"The poisons found in secondhand smoke are quite an irritant to the sinus and nasal passages and are a major contributor to the development of rhinosinusitis," Holm said in a press release. “"Our findings reaffirm the health hazards of secondhand smoke."

Visit Mayo Clinic to learn more about chronic sinusitis, or learn more about Holm’s study in The Archives of Otolaryngology.

Despite the economic state of our nation, more Americans than ever are bringing home the bacon—to eat with eggs, on cheeseburgers, or sandwiched between two slabs of fried chicken. The new Double Down by KFC  has plenty of mouths watering, and plenty of nutritionists and cardiologists cringing and wondering what to do about the U.S. bacon infatuation.

One pound of bacon (16-20 medium slices) can contain as much as 81 grams of fat, most of which (68 grams) is heart-clogging saturated fat. The Double Down is loaded with 540 calories and 32 grams of fat (10 g saturated). The recommended daily limit for saturated fat is 16 grams.

Bacon’s saturated fat is different from the mono- and poly-unsaturated fats found in fish, nuts and olive or soybean oils. While these fats can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, too much saturated fat can clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attack. The high sodium levels (up to 10,487 mg per pound) can also cause a cholesterol spike.

The good news is you don’t have to choose between saving your heart and nurturing your soul. As with caffeine and sweets, the key to this affair of the heart (or the stomach) is moderation.

“As a flavoring and ingredient, [bacon is] wonderful,” dietitian Susan Moores of the American Dietetic Association told MSNBC. “As a diet mainstay, not so much.”

A few strips now and then won’t hurt you, and there are plenty of other options to help tide you over. Turkey bacon, for example, has about half the fat and sodium. Canadian bacon and reduced-sodium bacon are also healthier options. Traditional bacon isn’t completely off limits, either.

“It all boils down to: How much?,” Moores says.

For the full story on America’s most delicious love affair, visit MSNBC.

With a little push from consumers, PepsiCo is taking steps toward making their products healthier. The convenience food giant has set big nutritional goals for the future. Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, announced Monday that the company will be making significant cuts in the amount of fat, sugar and sodium levels in its products.

Over the next 4-9 years, Pepsi will cut the average level of sodium and sugar in its products by 25 percent and fat will be reduced by 15 percent. In addition, Pepsi plans to increase the amount of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and seeds in its products. They also plan to eliminate full-sugar soft drink sales in schools by 2012.

Pepsi is the second-largest food and beverage company in the world, and reducing these inputs could have a huge impact on public health. Sugar and sodium reduction alone can reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

"We believe that a healthier future for all people and our planet means a more successful future for PepsiCo," Nooyi said in a news release.

PepsiCo owns Frito-Lay, Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade and Pepsi-Cola brands, and accounts for $43 billion in food sales. With companies like Kraft, Campbell’s and Coca-Cola following suit, more and more food producers are making an effort to meet consumer need.

"These commitments are shared by all of our businesses,” Nooyi said. “(They) reflect our focus on profitable, long-term growth and will guide us as we continue to build a portfolio of enjoyable and wholesome foods and beverages for consumers around the world."

Visit Pepsi’s website to check out what to expect from PepsiCo in the future.

If you’ve jumped on the detox bandwagon, it may be time to turn that sauna dial down a notch. According to an article by Health Day, spending too much time in the sweatbox may cause more harm than good.

The sauna’s claim to fame has been its ability to rid the body of impurities through sweat. A body’s organs supposedly become blocked, causing them fill with toxins. When a person sweats excessively in a sauna or steam room, he or she supposedly is able to get rid of these toxins.

Dr. Rachel Vreeman of Indiana University’s school of Medicine debunks this detoxification myth in her book, Don't Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health.

"The term 'detoxify' is used so often that it makes people think that special steps need to be taken so 'detoxifying' happens. Your body, however, does not need special cleansing efforts,” Vreeman told Health Day.

Too much heat exposure can lead to a slew of health problems including fatigue, nausea and stroke, not to mention extreme dehydration and an inability for the body to cool itself—the real purpose for sweating. Some might misread these symptoms for detoxification.

"Vomiting, thirst, dizziness, being uncoordinated or clumsy are all signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke,” Vreeman told Health Day. “Heat illness can kill you and should be treated as an emergency."

While there may be other benefits to spending time in the sauna, Vreeman says detoxification just isn’t one of them. “What it does need,” she says, “is for you to get enough fluids and to eat a healthy, balanced diet."

When it comes to cleansing the body of toxins, it’s best to leave it to itself.

Find more health myths in Don't Swallow Your Gum!, co-written by Drs. Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll.

Your vitamin regimen may be boosting more than your immunity/metabolism. Certain herbal supplements can also increase blood lead levels.

A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. investigates the effects different herbal supplements on blood lead levels. Supplements with high heavy metals levels included Ayurvedic herbs, echinacea, ginseng, St. John’s wort, bee pollen, ginko, and nettle.

Lead exposure can result in medical complications, including high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, heart disease and peripheral artery disease. High blood lead levels also pose a risk for women planning to become pregnant. Lead can lead to pregnancy complications for both the mother and the developing child.

“Among adults, the potential implications of low-level lead exposure are most relevant to women of child-bearing age,” study authors write. “As lead is especially harmful to developing nervous systems of fetuses and children and passes through the placenta and breast milk.”

Researchers recruited 6,712 Unites States women in good health who were of reproductive age—20 or more years old. Participants self-reported their vitamin regimen for 30 days, and were divided into groups based on the type of supplements they used.

Women who took these supplements had significantly higher lead levels than women who took other herbal medicines. Blood lead levels of women who took Ayurvedic supplements were 24 percent higher than non-users. St. John’s wort wasn’t far behind with 23 percent higher levels.

Greater lead levels were not seen in individuals who used other supplements, such as garlic. Researchers acknowledge that these supplements can have some beneficial effects on personal health, but recommend firmer regulations.

“Our data suggest testing guidelines for herbal supplements,” they write, “and regulations limiting lead in supplements are needed.”

All that pent-up rage you’ve been feeling on the job could cause damage to the heart. Holding back anger when you’re being treated unfairly at work may increase your chances of having a heart attack, according to new information from the Stress Research Institute of Stockholm University.

Information is based on a study of 2,755 men with no history of heart attack. Researchers wanted to examine how covert coping mechanisms for unfair treatment in the workplace affected heart health.

“There was a close-response relationship between covert coping and the risk of incident myocardial infarction (heart attack) or cardiac death,” authors of the study write.

Covert coping mechanisms included waiting for things to “just go away,” letting unfair actions slide and walking away from conflict. These responses were measured using questionnaires on how the participants responded to situations they believed were unfair between themselves and co-workers or employers.

Using their responses, participants were divided into three groups based on how they coped. They were classified as either being low (8-14), medium (15-18) or high (19-32).

On follow-up, 47 of the men had had a heart attack or died from ischemic heart disease. Men who had higher covert coping scores were up to three times as likely to have a heart attack when treated unfairly by a boss than those with lower scores.

“Men who frequently used covert coping had a 2.29 times higher risk than those who did not use this coping,” authors write. “In this study, covert coping is strongly related to increased risk of hard-end-point cardiovascular disease.

While stifling anger appears to be harmful, keeping a cool head is advised. Although more investigation is needed, the authors say this poses an interesting speculation on whether or not covert coping behavior intervention would change the risk of heart attack or cardiac death.

Read the study's abstract in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Like chocolate milk and hot cocoa? You could be just two glasses a day away from a healthier heart. New information indicates that drinking chocolate milk containing cocoa could help improve abnormal blood lipid and cholesterol levels, which puts people at risk for  atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Dr. Ramón Estruch of the University of Barcelona’s Department of Internal Medicine was the study’s senior author. Estruch and his team asked 42 high-risk men and women age 55 or older to take part in an experiment examining the effects of cocoa on heart disease.

“Cocoa and its derived products, such as chocolate, represent a very rich source of dietary flavonoids, which contain a higher content per serving than tea or red wine,” authors write. “The health benefits associated with cocoa consumption have been related to their capacity to improve the lipid profile and insulin sensitivity, diminish blood pressure, reduce platelet activity and function, and ameliorate endothelial dysfunction.”

Participants were given two sachets of non-fat, sugar-free Cola Cao, a popular Spanish cocoa powder mix similar to Nesquik. They were to mix 20 g (about 1 ½ Tbs.) with 250 ml (~8.5 oz) of skim milk and drink twice daily—once with breakfast, and again with dinner or an afternoon snack. All participants followed a Mediterranean-style diet, but were asked to exclude foods with cocoa, olive oil, red wine, tea, or fruits and vegetables with high polyphenol levels.

Participants did have a slight weight gain of about 1 pound. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were slightly (although not significantly) lower.  Cocoa did, however, show anti-inflammatory effects. These were modest compared to those of red wine, but significant nonetheless.

HDL (good cholesterol) levels were also significantly higher after drinking chocolate milk.

“Our results suggest that regular consumption of nutritional doses of cocoa may have an effect on all initial phases of the atherosclerotic process in subjects at high risk of coronary heart disease,” authors wrote. “These anti-inflammatory effects, together with other previously reported effects, including those of antioxidant, anti-platelelet, and positive vascular effects, may contribute to the overall benefits of cocoa consumption against atherosclerosis.”

The study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.