Heart Attacks Rising Among Younger Women

TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 -- Younger U.S. women are suffering heart attacks at a higher rate now than 20 years ago -- even while the picture has improved for younger men.

Those are the key findings from a new study of four U.S. communities, in which researchers report the heart attack rate among women younger than 55 has steadily inched upward since 1995. In contrast, the rate dipped among men in that age group.

Could Diet Sodas Raise an Older Woman's Stroke Risk?

THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 -- Older women, beware: New research warns that drinking a lot of diet sodas or artificially sweetened fruit juices may increase your risk for stroke.

In a study that tracked nearly 82,000 postmenopausal women, those who drank two or more diet drinks per day saw their overall stroke risk rise by 23 percent, compared with those who consumed diet drinks less than once a week.

Breast Cancer May Bring Higher Odds for A-fib, Too

TUESDAY, Jan. 29, 2019 -- Women diagnosed with breast cancer may face a higher risk of developing the abnormal heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (a-fib), Danish researchers report.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In 2018, more than 2 million women were diagnosed with the disease. The inflammation the disease causes might increase the risk for a-fib, the researchers said, though the study did not prove a cause-and-effect link.