Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way. Maybe we have friends or family who’ve been diagnosed, or maybe you’re one of the 18 million people in the U.S. living as a cancer survivor. Given cancer’s seriousness, its extent can certainly feel concerning, especially as the number of cancer survivors is expected to grow to over 22 million within the next 10 years. But there is actually some good news to go along with these large numbers. People are living longer after a cancer diagnosis. And there are steps survivors can take that can help improve health and well-being over the years. It’s almost never too early in the cancer journey to get started with them. 

Pregnancy is often described as the body's ultimate cardiovascular stress test. The heart works significantly harder to support both the mother and the developing baby. Blood volume expands, vascular resistance drops and heart rate increases. These normal physiological changes begin early in pregnancy and peak in the late second to early third trimester. These changes can unmask symptoms of previously silent valve disease or intensify those of known valve conditions because the heart is being asked to move more blood through a valve that isn't functioning normally.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine researchers will spend this coming year offering education and DNA testing to northern New Mexico residents who may be silently carrying a gene for cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), which causes tiny blood vessels in the brain to bleed, potentially leading to hemorrhage, seizures, neurological disability or even death.

The Houston Methodist-Rice Digital Health Institute recently welcomed Frank Marchetti, Consul General of France in Houston, and his team to discuss health care innovation and avenues for international collaboration.