Angela Bassett Puts the Spotlight on Heart Health

TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 -- Actress Angela Bassett has graced film and TV screens with a wide range of award-winning performances for decades.

But her latest role is that of spokeswoman, raising awareness of links between type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Timing of Menopause May Affect Heart Failure Risk

MONDAY, May 15, 2017 -- Women who entered menopause early or who never gave birth might have an increased risk of heart failure, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 28,000 postmenopausal women who did not have heart disease at the start of the study. During an average follow-up of about 13 years, just over 5 percent of the women were hospitalized for heart failure.

Women Fare Poorly With Aortic Aneurysm: Study

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 -- Women with abdominal aortic aneurysms have far worse outcomes than men, and their treatment needs to be dramatically improved, British researchers report.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when there is weakening and ballooning of the wall of the aorta -- the largest artery which carries blood from the heart through the abdomen to the rest of the body. Patients with the condition are at risk for a potentially life-threatening rupture.

Taller, Bigger Women May Face Irregular Heartbeat Risk

MONDAY, April 10, 2017 -- Big or tall women are nearly three times as likely to develop the dangerous irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation as smaller women, a preliminary study says.

The larger a woman's body size as a young adult, the more likely she is to develop the heart disorder later in life, according to the researchers.

High Blood Pressure: A Silver Lining for Ovarian Cancer Patients?

TUESDAY, April 18, 2017 -- A woman's prognosis after an ovarian cancer diagnosis may be affected by a number of unexpected factors, new research suggests.

The study found that diabetes is linked to a 112 percent higher risk of death for women with ovarian cancer. The research also showed that women with a specific type of ovarian cancer actually seemed to benefit from having a high blood pressure (hypertension) diagnosis.

Healthy Gums Tied to Longer Lives for Women

WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 -- Here's another reason to get flossing: New research suggests that gum disease is linked with earlier death in older women.

"Older women may be at higher risk for death because of their periodontal condition," study author Michael LaMonte said in a news release from the Journal of the American Heart Association.