What: Maternal deaths due to cardiovascular issues more than doubled in the US between 1999 and 2022, with Black women and people in Southern states facing increased risk. Researchers said the increase was driven in part by an overall increase in heart disease and hypertension, which led to more high-risk pregnancies. 

Key Line: “’We’re heading in the wrong direction. The United States is supposed to be a global leader in advancing health and medicine, and the fact that we still have pregnant women who are dying—often because of preventable causes—should sound alarm bells,’ said Mohammad Ahabab Hossain, MD, the study’s lead author.”

Source: American College of Cardiology