The socioeconomic status of first-time moms in early pregnancy may affect their cardiovascular health up to seven years later.

Socioeconomic status — education level, income level, health insurance status and health literacy — of pregnant individuals was responsible for more than half of the long-term heart health disparities among Black, Hispanic and white women, according to a new study.

A preliminary study combining a patent-applied, AI-powered algorithm with a high-speed, 5-to 30-second video of skin on the face and the palm of the hand detected if someone had high blood pressure as well as using a blood pressure cuff. The system, still in early development in Japan, also accurately detected Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. With modifications for real-world use, the system may eventually offer quick, contactless screenings for high blood pressure and diabetes and help monitor response to treatment.

An analysis of data from the CDC’s WONDER database found that the number of people in the U.S. who died from ischemic heart disease related to obesity increased by approximately 180% from 1999 to 2020. The highest rate of deaths from ischemic heart disease related to obesity were noted among middle-aged men ages 55-64, Black adults and people who live in the Midwestern states and non-metropolitan areas in the U.S.

A small survey of adults aged 30 to 89 (average age of 65) in Sweden who have heart conditions found that there is a significant difference between the sexual health information they seek and what is provided to them by their health care professionals and the health care system. Despite 76% of patients with heart conditions reporting that sexual health affects their mood and well-being, only 5% received information or counseling about sexual health.

Scientists conducted a simulation study to estimate the impact of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction. The study found that adults with chronic kidney disease would have elevated CVD risk eight years earlier than those without the disease. In addition, people with Type 2 diabetes would have an elevated CVD risk about a decade sooner than those without it.