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…
(MoMo Productions/DigitalVision, Getty Images) Too much Valentine candy probably won’t be good for your health. But the heart-centric holiday’s hugs and kisses are a different story. “We crave social connection and human touch,” said Ashley Thompson, a social psychologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. “Hugging and kissing are a big part…
(Flavio Coelho/Moment, Getty Images) A new scoring system based on a person’s medical data may help predict who is at higher risk for having a stroke when hospitalized with COVID-19, preliminary new research shows. The scoring system – which was as effective at predicting stroke risk as computer models – found people with four or…
(Stockfoo/iStock, Getty Images) Lea en español From life’s earliest moments to its latest stages, music can help make us healthier and happier. It can soothe and invigorate, improve mental health and even help someone stay alive. “There’s great appreciation for the value music can provide that’s non-pharmacological and non-invasive,” said Daniel Tague, assistant professor and…
(DrAfter123/DigitalVision Vectors, Getty Images) Lea en español Two years into the pandemic, researchers have learned a lot about how COVID-19 affects people with heart disease and stroke survivors. But like the coronavirus itself, what everyone needs to know keeps evolving. “You can’t assume that what was true three months ago is true now,” said Dr….
(Vaselena/iStock, Getty Images) Lea en español Anyone who has put on a few too many pounds knows they can slow you down. Over time, if those pounds grow into obesity, they may do serious harm, putting you at risk for a wide range of illnesses. But too much weight on the body also can harm…
(FatCamera/E+, Getty Images) Breastfeeding could help women reduce their chances of having a stroke and of developing and dying of heart disease, according to an analysis of data from studies around the world. The paper was published Tuesday in a special edition focusing on pregnancy in the Journal of the American Heart Association. It pooled…
Jillian Forsberg became a heart health advocate after losing her best friend to an aortic dissection in 2018. (Photo by Shelby Laine Photography) On a steamy July afternoon in Fort Scott, Kansas, 16-year-old Lindsey Lewis, dressed in a swimsuit and shorts and driving her well-loved convertible, picked up her friend Jill Overstake. They stopped for…
(Orientfootage/E+, Getty Images) Treating high blood pressure during pregnancy is safe and may be helpful at lower thresholds than previously thought, a new scientific report says. “For decades, the benefits of blood pressure treatment for pregnant women were unclear,” Dr. Vesna D. Garovic said in a news release. She led a committee of experts that…
(FG Trade/E+, Getty Images) A tool widely used by doctors to help determine who needs clot-busting therapy after a stroke has some missing pieces, according to new research that suggests adding a few simple tests could help improve treatment for people who have less common strokes in the back of the brain. Published Wednesday in…