June 15, 2020

AHA News: Pregnant Women With Heart Defects Don't Always Get This Recommended Test

MONDAY, June 8, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Women with heart defects experience far more cardiovascular problems during pregnancy than those without, yet only half get a recommended test to assess their heart health before giving birth, according to new research.

The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, found that during pregnancy, women with congenital heart disease experienced adverse conditions 34 to 63 times more often than those without heart defects. The conditions included high blood pressure in the lungs, heart rate problems, dangerous heart rhythms and cardiac arrest. But just 56% of these women received the comprehensive echocardiograms experts recommend.

May 21, 2020

Women Less Likely to Get Standard Heart Medications

WEDNESDAY, May 20, 2020 -- It's a myth that heart attacks are a "man's disease." Yet a new research review confirms that women remain less likely than men to get medications routinely recommended for preventing heart trouble and strokes.

Researchers found that across 43 international studies, a general pattern emerged: Women with risk factors for heart disease and stroke were less likely than men to be prescribed low-dose aspirin, cholesterol-lowering statins or certain blood pressure medications.

May 19, 2020

More Evidence Sugary Drinks Harm Women's Hearts

WEDNESDAY, May 13, 2020 -- Women who drink a lot of sodas, sweetened juices and other sugary drinks are at greater risk of developing heart disease, a new study finds.

Those who drink one or more a day have nearly a 20% higher risk than women who never do. And it's not just soda that's problematic: Fruit drinks with added sugars are also a culprit, researchers say.