Stories About

heart disease

The Truth About NFL Star Cameron Smith’s Recovery

The Minnesota Vikings linebacker has had a seemingly easy recovery from open heart surgery. But after four similar surgeries myself, I think he's the exception, not the rule.

My Bike Saved More Than My Heart

Taking up biking allowed me to work on my heart and my mental health at the same time.

I Think I Know One Thing Naya Rivera Went Through

I'm a mom with a congenital heart disease, afraid to leave my daughters adrift in the world without me. That's why I'm so affected by the 'Glee' star's tragic death.

What My Mom (And HIV) Taught Me About Caregiving

When my mother's health declined, I used the skills I had learned from my own chronic illness and the empathy I learned from her to be there for her.

Surviving Is A Noble Fight

The ultimate lesson I've learned from a life fighting diabetes, heart disease, and depression? I'm worth it.

What No One Tells You About Going Under

After anesthesia and open heart surgery, it's common to experience memory loss. But that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

Getting My Life Back After Open Heart Surgery

James Beard- and Julia Child-award-winning author Linda West Eckhardt lives for food, family, and dogs. But what happens after the cookbook writer gets her chest carved open?
Woman wearing a blue beret and a paper air mask holds up a sign reading "Stop Pollution"

How Climate Change Is Hurting Our Health

More heart attacks. Worse asthma attacks. Year round allergies. And tropical diseases everywhere. That's just a taste of what climate change is doing to our health.

Fighting Off Hypochondria in a Mexican Shaman’s Temazcal

A travel journalist tries to outrun her irrational fear of health ailments, only to confront it square on in Oaxaca.

Holding Her Heart In Her Hands

Jen Hyde finds creative inspiration in the people and stories hidden behind the technology that keeps her heart condition in check.

The High Cost of Grandma’s Cooking

Growing up in Alabama, James Burge scarcely ever ate a meal that didn't contain lard. But as his family member started dying of heart disease, he rethought his culinary heritage.

Sick and Tired

Fannie Lou Hamer was one of America's most important civil rights icons. But her health issues show that racism isn't just a social disease, it's a physical one.