TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that young asthma patients who use drugs known as inhaled anticholinergics -- such as ipratropium [Atrovent] -- could be more likely than others to suffer from potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat.

TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Healthier lifestyles and better disease management led to a sharp drop in death rates for Americans with diabetes between 1997 and 2006, especially deaths caused by heart disease and stroke, a new federal government report shows.

TUESDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that treating obstructive sleep apnea, a common cause of snoring and daytime sleepiness, might also cut down on a serious health hazard associated with the condition -- the risk of developing high blood pressure.

MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The new blood thinner Xarelto appears to lower the chances of potentially fatal blood clots in high-risk heart patients, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review has found.

MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Heart damage can be present in obese teens who don't have any symptoms of heart disease, a small, preliminary study found.

MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Statin drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol levels may also slow the unhealthy growth of the prostate in men with elevated blood levels of prostate-specific antigen, a new study finds.

MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Many American teenagers, including some with a normal, healthy weight, already have one or more risk factors for heart disease, researchers say.

THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved generic versions of the blood thinner Plavix (clopidogrel), making the widely used medication more affordable for those patients who need it.

THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- The first generic versions of the blood-thinning drug Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

THURSDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Statins -- commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs -- can significantly lower the risk for heart disease in people with no history of vascular disease, according to a new study.