Aspirin has been widely used for more than 50 years as a common, inexpensive blood thinner for patients with heart disease and stroke, but doctors have little understanding of how it works and why some people benefit and others do not.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the leading cause of death in high school-aged athletes. To determine if SCD can be prevented with a heart screening, The Christ Hospital Health Network (Cincinnati, Ohio), The University of Mississippi Medical Center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center partnered with USRowing and Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc. to conduct The Athlete Heart Research Study. Initial participants included volunteer high school rowers with more than two years of continuous practice who competed in the USRowing Youth National Championships, June 7 – 9, 2013 in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Researchers have announced the results of a five-year study that shows early fetal echocardiography provides reliable prenatal diagnosis of major congenital heart disease (CHD). First trimester screening looks very promising for detection of heart problems and increases the need for scheduling early and detailed cardiac evaluations.