(d3sign/Moment via Getty Images) Maternal exposure to air pollution may raise the risk for heart defects in an unborn child, according to new research from China that suggests the risks are just as high in the three months prior to pregnancy as they are during the mother’s first trimester. “It means reducing air pollution exposure…

(AnnaStills/iStock via Getty Images) Lea en español A woman’s heart health prior to becoming pregnant greatly affects her risk for pregnancy-related complications and the long-term cardiovascular health of both mother and child, according to a new report that calls for greater attention to the issue. Improving maternal heart health during this critical period could help…

(Gorica Poturak/iStock via Getty Images) Lea en español Women who have pregnancy-related health problems face an increased risk for having a stroke much earlier in life than their peers with uncomplicated pregnancies, a risk that climbs with each complicated pregnancy, new research suggests. The findings, which will be presented Feb. 8 at the American Stroke…

Actress Susan Lucci. (Photo courtesy of Justice Apple) Women face unique health challenges. Here are the top 5 stories that dug deeper than cardiovascular disease alone, ranked in order of unique page views. 1. Susan Lucci’s new stent and renewed mission for women’s heart health Three years ago, soap opera legend Susan Lucci was treated…

(alvarez/E+ via Getty Images) It’s standard practice to monitor a woman’s blood pressure during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth. But new research at one medical center suggests the condition could be missed in some new mothers with no history of high blood pressure if the practice ends after six weeks. The study, published Tuesday in…

(NataliaDeriabina/iStock via Getty Images) A popular type of fertility treatment is associated with increased risk for serious cardiovascular complications in women at the time of delivery, longer hospital stays and higher hospitalization costs, new research finds. “It’s not necessarily that reproductive technologies are causing the cardiac complications,” said Dr. Erin Michos, senior author of the…

(Leonidas Santana/iStock via Getty Images) Lea en español It turns out that many of the lifestyle behaviors that help fight off breast cancer in women also can help them avoid heart disease. Think of it as a “double win,” said cardiologist Dr. Ana Barac, director of the cardio-oncology program at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute…

(FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images) Lea en español The COVID-19 pandemic produced no shortage of somber statistics. But for people who care about women’s health, one number about Hispanic women stood out. Their maternal mortality rate jumped sharply in 2020 – up 44% from the year before, according to the latest available data from the…

Embryo culture dish used for in vitro fertilization. (Science Photo Library via Getty Images) Using a frozen embryo for in vitro fertilization may substantially raise the mother’s risk for pregnancy complications related to high blood pressure, new research suggests. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, found fertilization with frozen embryos…

(Iryna Zastrozhnova/iStock via Getty Images) Women with a history of endometriosis may be more likely to have a stroke later in life than their peers with no history of the chronic inflammatory condition, new research finds. The study, published Thursday in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, suggested the higher risk may be due at…