Articles

Last year, I moved from Florida to Wisconsin. It was to pursue a new degree and to make a career shift. So far, I've enjoyed my experience in a new...

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is when blood flow to the lungs is blocked. This can result in damage to the parts of the lungs that do not get enough blood flow...

I vividly remember my very first visit with my pulmonary hypertension specialist. He was incredibly patient with me and took the time to deliver such fragile and life-altering news. I...

You might read this title and think something like, "Really? Let’s see how out-of-touch or toxically positive this article is." The reality is, many of us with chronic health conditions...

It was 4 AM on January 1, 2001. Pain on the right side of my chest woke me up. I was also sweating like I had been running in 98-degree...

While the development of some types of heart disease can be somewhat within our control in terms of lifestyle factors, there are also many elements beyond our control that can...

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid). It is produced by the liver. It has many important functions such as digesting food and making hormones. But, if the amount of...

Genetics can play a major role in many of the diseases that we have. Some of us may have had parents with high blood pressure and heart disease, and as...

Would you like to share your experience with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and help others who are also living with a CVD condition? CardiovascularDisease.net is looking to add new patient advocate...

Pregnancy causes many changes in the body, all of which put enormous strain on a body already living with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Doctors recommend that people with PH avoid getting...

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Jazmin McRae and originally appeared on our partner site Heart-Failure.net. Have you heard the saying, “Those who give a lot have a big...

In another continuation of my journey with heart problems, I recently took a rather big step: I started a new drug in the hopes of quelling some of the pain...

Grief is a complex emotion; there are expectations around how to grieve, when to grieve, and guilt that comes with not meeting those expectations. You can’t force grief. You just...

When I was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, I was completely shocked. How was it possible that I had cardiomyopathy? I’d been eating healthy and had been a lifelong athlete as...

Cardiomyopathy is a group of disorders that affect the heart muscle. It can make the heart muscle become thicker or grow larger. It is a common cause of heart problems...

Have you ever had that response to a new diagnosis? This one came out of the blue and added to my list of comorbid diseases. In December 2021, I had...

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a specialized type of therapy. The word “pulmonary” has to do with your lungs. Pulmonary rehabilitation or rehab is meant to help you breathe better. It can...

Getting diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), also known as genetically high cholesterol, at age 17 was not easy. Do you know what else was not easy? Being a freshman in...

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). In AFib, very fast and irregular beats happen in the upper heart chambers. The atria may beat more...

My pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis was delivered to me as I lay in an ICU bed recovering from a pulmonary embolism, or PE (blood clot in the lung), just days...