Choose your location
AHA News
Heart health tips for when the mercury dips
Winter is the right time of year for all kinds of cool activities – skiing, skating and ice fishing, just to name a few. Unfortunately, as the temperature falls, the risk of heart problems heats up. Even if you live far from the nearest iceberg, cold weather can pose problems. Studies have linked low temperatures to an increased risk of stroke, heart-related chest pain, heart rhythm problems and deaths from heart failure and cardiac arrest.
Minimizing stress and maximizing health can make the holiday season more jolly
Between economic struggles, political division and life's everyday pressures, the year has already been stressful enough for many people. And now, here come the holidays: food and beverage temptations, crowded airports and traffic jams, and family gatherings, which can be great but maybe not always. "The holidays can be a...
Keeping cultural traditions heart-healthy can make all spirits bright this holiday season
Erick Romero enjoys celebrating the winter holidays, but not in the same way he did years ago. Romero needed open-heart surgery to repair a faulty valve a few years after emigrating from his native Venezuela to Rhode Island. He and his family have since adapted to a different lifestyle, including their holiday traditions.
Heart infection deaths rising among young adults
Death rates from a rare heart infection have risen among young adults over the past two decades, a trend that may be driven by complications of substance use disorder, new research suggests. The study showed death rates for infective endocarditis – which develops after bacteria enter the bloodstream and settle...
Diabetes control at the holidays: It's not about perfection
Making healthy choices during the winter holidays can be challenging for anyone. For people with diabetes, it can be even harder. Disruptions brought on by travel, stress and food-filled celebrations can "really wreak havoc on people's self-management of their diabetes," said Dr. Cecilia Low Wang, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine in Aurora.
She was dancing at a silent disco when symptoms hit. Something was wrong with her heart.
Tami Nutt was born with a heart defect and grew up going to the children's hospital in Houston. She knew the problem would eventually have to be fixed, but until then, it was a waiting game. The defect involved a narrowing of the aorta, the large blood vessel that carries...
Football player traded NFL dreams for a new purpose after blood clot
The sun was blazing and Kristoffer Doura had just finished three rounds of "gassers," sprinting the length of the football field as part of training camp for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. As Doura prepared for the final round of the conditioning drill, his head throbbed, his muscles ached, his heart...
Latin dance can liven up holiday celebrations and boost health
Family gatherings and workplace parties with mouth-watering spreads are hallmarks of the holiday season. But if you want to boost your holiday cheer and your health simultaneously, tap your feet to the beats of salsa, merengue and bachata. Adding Latin dance to holiday celebrations not only enlivens a party, but...
High blood pressure may be experienced as a couple
Middle-aged and older heterosexual men and women may be more likely to have high blood pressure if their spouse or partner has it, too, according to a large international study. The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that in up to nearly half of...
Heart abnormalities in older Hispanic women linked to high blood pressure during pregnancy
Hispanic women diagnosed with high blood pressure for the first time during pregnancy may face a higher risk of developing abnormalities in heart function and structure later in life, a new study suggests. The findings could have significant health implications for women who develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as...
Sleep problems linked to heart health risks during and after menopause
How well a woman sleeps – not just how long – as she transitions through menopause may affect her projected risk for heart disease and stroke, new research suggests. The study found women who were peri- and postmenopausal who experienced a range of sleep disturbances scored worse on key measures of cardiovascular health than their premenopausal peers. The findings were presented in November at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions conference in Philadelphia and are considered preliminary until full results are published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More than a dozen strokes interrupted – but didn't end – her pursuit of becoming a lawyer
Brianne Rico had a terrible headache during a class in law school. When she stood up, she stumbled. Still, she downplayed whatever was happening. She didn't have time to be sick. That night, the headache got worse, and she took pain medicine. The following day, her mother, Kathy, convinced her...
Ovary-sparing hysterectomy may not offer protection against metabolic syndrome
Having a hysterectomy, even if the ovaries are spared, may place women at greater risk for a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, new research shows. The findings, presented last month at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions conference in Philadelphia, call into question the long-held belief...
For green spaces to be most beneficial to health, they need to be walkable
The positive health impact of green space isn't just about where you live, but how easily you can access nature, according to new research. Previous studies have suggested that simply living in neighborhoods filled with trees, grass and plants can reduce heart disease risk. For the new study, researchers explored the relationship between green space and cardiovascular risk factors and diseases by using two metrics: NatureScore, a composite measure of the amount and quality of nature, and walk score, which gauges how easy or hard it is to walk around a neighborhood.
Social determinants of health linked to faster genetic aging
Scientists already knew that cardiovascular health can be affected by social determinants of health that include a person's neighborhood, education, access to healthy foods and economic stability. But new research offers a clue as to why: accelerated biological aging. For the new study, researchers considered epigenetic age acceleration. Epigenetics research...
What he thought was pneumonia turned out to be heart failure – at age 30
Dave Conway felt his legs tremble as he carried a 50-pound bag of corn to pour into a batch of bourbon. As a craft distiller in Columbus, Ohio, Conway's days were long and physically taxing. The job included rolling barrels filled with bourbon, operating heavy machinery and scrambling up and down ladders in rooms that often topped 90 degrees.
Gaps in postpartum care may leave many women at risk for cardiovascular disease
Many women with diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy did not receive appropriate postpartum care to reduce their future risk of cardiovascular disease, a study at one health system has found. "Many patients I see were not aware that (one of these pregnancy complications) was a risk factor for...
She spent her first Thanksgiving on a ventilator. This year, she's home – and healthy.
Last Thanksgiving, Lily Davis was 6 weeks old and on a ventilator in the hospital. Her mother, Gaby, spent her favorite holiday in a neonatal intensive care unit. "We saw so many pictures on social media of babies at the Thanksgiving table, and our baby was on a breathing tube," Gaby said. "The NICU staff made a cut-out turkey and hearts and hung them over her bed."
Pass the potatoes, or take a pass? Here's expert advice
If you say "potato," and then say "healthy," some people might call your thinking half-baked. At best, potatoes often are seen as a starchy vegetable that lacks the status of dietary rock stars like leafy greens or carrots. At worst, taters are the basis for all kinds of salty, fatty snacks – and a metaphor for mindless inactivity.
Ideas for keeping Thanksgiving healthy – and happy
The turkey is roasting in the oven. The pies are cooling on the counter. And you may be telling yourself, "Thanksgiving Day is no time to be overly rigid about what I'm eating." Health experts say – you might have a point. "I don't want people overthinking their relationship...
AHA News
1K+
Posts
6M+
Views
Heart and Stroke News: Stories about people, science and health, from American Heart Association News.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.