(adamkaz/iStock via Getty Images) Lea en español High blood pressure – sometimes referred to as “the silent killer” because it can do serious heart and brain damage before symptoms appear – is common in adults. But what about children? Among U.S. children and adolescents, up to 5% have high blood pressure – also known as…

(La Lumiere/E+ via Getty Images) Black and Hispanic children with Type 1 diabetes are more likely than their white peers to develop stiffened arteries – a precursor to heart disease and stroke – during the first decade of their diabetes diagnosis, new research finds. All of the higher risk for Hispanic children – and one-fourth…

From left: Dylan’s parents, Gus and Lisa Dorrell, and brother, Jake Dorrell, with the AED that was placed in the park where Dylan collapsed. (Photo courtesy of the Dorrell family) Dylan Dorrell fell in love with running when he was in kindergarten and ran a 5K with his mom on Mother’s Day. As a 17-year-old…

(Ridofranz/iStock via Getty Images) Women and men born with simple or moderate heart defects who choose to have children are no more likely than others to experience infertility as adults, a study in Denmark suggests. The researchers said it is the first study to examine the risk of infertility among women and men with congenital…

(Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment via Getty Images) Childhood trauma, especially physical abuse, might increase the risk of heart failure later in life, according to new research. Past studies have found a connection between traumatic experiences in childhood and cardiovascular disease and other health problems. But there’s been little research on a specific link to heart failure,…

(Popmarleo/iStock via Getty Images) Breathing polluted air may trigger irregular heart rhythms in otherwise healthy teens – even when pollution levels fall within standards set by the government, new research suggests. The study found teens experienced skipped heartbeats within two hours of breathing fine particulate matter, the type of pollution that comes from car and…

(TomFoldes/iStock via Getty Images) For more than a decade, the cloud of vaping has encompassed more and more kids in the United States. Now, with a new school year underway, educators and health experts are building on recent progress as they enter the latest round of the vaping fight. Research into the health impact of…

Congenital heart defect survivor Marcus Parrish. (Photo courtesy of Jenn Parrish) With three children over the age of 10, Delaware couple Mark and Jenn Parrish thought they might be finished growing their family. Finding out Jenn was pregnant was a pleasant surprise. “It was more of a surprise when we saw the ultrasound and there…

(XiXinXing via Getty Images) In the past, school cafeterias might have served as a source for more punchlines than nutrition. But lunch is a more dynamic and, these days, healthy part of students’ lives than many people realize. Some of its importance is obvious. “You really don’t need to do a study showing that if…

(vgajic/E+ via Getty Images) The consequences of heart disease often don’t show up until someone is well into adulthood. Why should busy parents be thinking about it in their kids? “Because it’s probably way easier to prevent the development of cardiac risk factors than to try and get rid of them once they’ve developed,” said…