Heart attack and bypass surgery survivor Chris Mathews. (Photo courtesy of Chris Mathews) A few months before the pandemic, Chris Mathews was 20 miles into a 32-mile ride with his bicycle club when he lost all strength in his legs and body. Chris, then 72, moved over and signaled for others to pass. Then his…

(Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library, Getty Images) Women with high blood pressure conditions during pregnancy may face double the risk for kidney disease within several years after giving birth, according to a new study that finds the risk climbs to nearly fourfold for women who already had high blood pressure before pregnancy. The study, published Friday…

“Monk” actor Jason Gray-Stanford had a heart transplant in November 2020. (Photo by Anthony Mongiello Photography) In his decades as an actor, Jason Gray-Stanford has appeared in a few medical dramas, often as a patient. And in his best-known role, as Lt. Randy Disher on “Monk,” he faced all kinds of cases that defied easy…

(Photo by Genesis Alvarado/Cronkite News) Lea en español Every few seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of a blood donation. But there’s not always enough donated blood to meet that need. Aid agencies began the year announcing the country was facing its worst blood shortage in more than a decade. Donations are needed…

(blueshot/iStock, Getty Images) A category of infertility treatments growing in popularity among older women may increase the risk for complications, especially if the mother has pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors, according to new research. The study, which analyzed the risk for complications in women who conceived using assisted reproductive technology – ART – published Tuesday in…

(Longhua Liao/Moment, Getty Images) Sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment – traumatic and common experiences for U.S. women – may increase the long-term risk of developing high blood pressure, according to new research. “Reducing sexual violence against women, which is important in its own right, may also provide a strategy for improving women’s lifetime cardiovascular…

Researcher and professor Bertha Hidalgo (right) with her parents. (Photo courtesy of Bertha Hidalgo) Lea en español Around the time Bertha Hidalgo launched her career in genetic epidemiology, Instagram was becoming the cool new social media hangout. Hidalgo thought it’d be a great place for a Hispanic female health care professional to provide practical advice. In…

Heart transplant recipient Grace Jennings. (Photo courtesy of Jamie Jennings) Four years after Jamie Jennings started the adoption process to be a single mom, she got the call at 3 a.m. A 1-year-old girl in China with a congenital heart defect needed a home. Jamie had 48 hours to decide whether this girl would become…

(Sumetee Theesungnern/EyeEm, Getty Images) Two years into a pandemic that landed people in their living rooms, generating countless hours of television bingeing and stress eating, the nation has a new problem to worry about: Nearly half of U.S. adults, many already classified as overweight, reported they put on extra pounds. Turning to fad diets or…

Heart transplant recipient Tiara Johnson. (Photo courtesy of Tiara Johnson) Tiara Johnson’s second pregnancy went smoothly – until the last month. “My fingers were so puffy, I couldn’t wear my wedding ring,” she said. The problem stemmed from her blood pressure. And the rising blood pressure stemmed from preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy that usually…