A plasma test to determine the maximum density of a blood clot and how long it takes to break down could help identify heart attack patients at increased risk for cardiovascular death or another myocardial infarction (MI), according to a study published Jan. 29 in the European Heart Journal.

Routine medical tests could be missing as many as two-thirds of heart attack diagnoses, researchers reported at CMR 2018, an annual conference dedicated to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in Barcelona, Spain.

Omega-3 supplements may not protect a patient from heart disease or vascular events, according to a meta-analysis published in JAMA Cardiology.

The benefits of vitamin D aren’t limited to improving bone health and fighting disease—the “sunshine vitamin” has now been shown to help restore damage to heart patients’ cardiovascular systems, according to research published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine this week.

Researchers are beginning to put their finger on what may be causing heart attack and stroke in people with few or no conventional risk factors. But they’re still figuring out what to do about it, The New York Times reports.

Increases in heart rate over time signal a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, supporting the use of serial monitoring in clinical practice, researchers reported in JAMA Cardiology.

If the buzz surrounding this flu season hasn’t been enough to convince people to head to their local pharmacies for a preventive shot, maybe this is will do it: A study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine reported influenza patients are six times more likely to have a heart attack during the week following diagnosis.

Trauma early in life could have a detrimental effect on a child’s biological makeup, possibly paving the way for heart disease and other chronic illnesses, NPR reported this week.