You’ve probably heard that older adults are at increased risk of severe illness if they contract the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). But adults of any age who have chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease are also at increased ris… Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in American Heart Association News.) As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread around the world and in the U.S. — now a pandemic — it has shown to be a much more serious illness for people with underlying healt… Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in American Heart Association News.) On Feb. 20, 1962, John Glenn made history when he became the first American to orbit the Earth. About half an hour after launch, somewhere over Zanzibar, he made a bit of lesser-kno… Continue reading
On Jan. 23, 2020, the Surgeon General released a new report on smoking and health, the first one in three decades, focusing solely on smoking cessation. The report reviews and updates evidence on the importance of quitting smoking, making it abundantly… Continue reading
I was being wheeled at speed through the corridors of the MedStar Cardiovascular Surgery Center in Washington, D.C. on a stretcher bound for an operating theater. My driver, another Chris, was also to be my anesthetist — so I refrained from commenting … Continue reading
When my husband, Dale, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007, at the age of 46, his doctor prescribed medication, he attended a nutrition class and was instructed on testing his blood glucose level. Dale had annual physical exams, which monitored … Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in American Heart Association News.) Older adults have a much higher risk of dangerous heart problems soon after their first stroke compared to ones who haven’t had a stroke, even if they don’t have obvious underlying … Continue reading
When you’re facing down cancer, heart disease isn’t top of mind. Yet, it turns out many cancer patients face a greater risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than from their cancer. Researchers have known for several decades that many lifesaving cancer… Continue reading
Preventive medicine can be messy. In a perfect world, we’d put helmets only on motorcyclists who we knew were going to crash. And we’d only do mammograms on women we knew were going to get breast cancer. But things are hardly perfect, and when it comes… Continue reading
Women are less likely than men to receive a mechanical heart pump that is becoming the norm for people with advanced heart failure, according to new research. The study, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Heart Failure, to… Continue reading