SATURDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Five simple steps can help lower your risk of heart disease, says a leading expert on preventive cardiology.

SATURDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords underwent surgery Saturday morning to replace the breathing tube that had been in place since she was shot through the head a week ago in an attack in Tucson that killed six people.

FRIDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have simultaneously discovered a gene that seems to raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, while also noting that having the blood type O might guard against heart attack once arteries become clogged.

SATURDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Cigarettes start to destroy a smoker's DNA within minutes of inhaling, new research indicates, suggesting that the habit causes immediate genetic damage and quickly raises the short-term risk for cancer.