get the top three things to know in women's health + wellness, every weekday:

Stethoscope with AI Doubles Detection of Fatal Pregnancy Heart Disease in Trial

January 8, 2024

What: Mayo Clinic conducted a study that found a digital stethoscope that captured electrical rhythms of the heart and heart sounds and enhanced with AI helped identify twice as many cases of peripartum cardiomyopathy than traditional care.

Why it matters: The results suggest that many pregnant and postpartum women aren’t getting properly diagnosed, in part because “the symptoms, such as shortness of breath when lying down, swelling of hands and feet, weight gain, and rapid heartbeat, can be confused with normal symptoms of pregnancy.”

Source: Mayo Clinic

More News Snippets

Cleveland Clinic Launches Center for Women in Midlife

The Cleveland Clinic launched a “Women’s Comprehensive Health and Research Center,” which aims to help women in midlife get the care they need.

Endometriosis Is Having a Moment, But Not Soon Enough for Many Patients

An essay from Lucy Pasha-Robinson opens with one of the most gripping depictions of endometriosis pain I’ve ever read.

Pregnant Women and Their Babies Are Suffering and Dying in Post-Roe America

The AP has the dystopian details on what pregnant women face in America after Roe: “One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to check her in.”

What’s at Stake at SCOTUS? Women’s Lives (Again)

The Washington Post has more horror stories of women getting turned away from the ER because they are pregnant, and extreme state abortion bans have scared providers.

Why Cardiovascular Treatment Lagged for Women

A new book covers how cardiovascular care for women was nonexistent for decades, starting with Wiliam Osler, the physician who in 1889 created the residency model still in use today.

Remembering Kris Hallenga

The New York Times has an obituary for Kris Hallenga, who died from breast cancer this week at age 38.

Legal Journal Article Lays Out the Stark Reality of Criminalized Abortion

An article from Duke’s Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy says it is “the first to evaluate new and existing laws criminalizing abortion…”

Arizona Dems Get Three Republicans to Join Them, Repeal Abortion Ban

The third time was the charm for Arizona state House Democrats, who got three Republicans to join them in repealing the 1864 total abortion ban that was set to go into effect in the coming weeks.

More on the Moons’ Menstruation

Examining the never-ending allure of menstruation being tied to the cycles of the moon.

What Happens If You Still Have Pain After Endo Surgery?

A deep dive worth spending your time on describing the reporter’s journey getting diagnosed and surgical treatment for endometriosis.

Forty Percent of Women Report Working Through High Menstrual Pain

Shalene Gupta reminds us that unequal pay “is not the only way inequality manifests” among men and women in the workplace.

CDC Warns Docs About That Bad Botox

The CDC formally warned doctors Tuesday about counterfeit Botox that has sickened 22 people across 11 states.

TikTok to Start Restricting Weight Loss Content

TikTok is cracking down on creators who focus on weight loss, restricting content about “restrictive diets, ‘using medication or supplements for weight loss or muscle gain,’ or promoting weight loss products” to users who are 18 and up.

Menopause’s Doctor Problem

Digging into menopause, and specifically how “the medical field is failing menopausal women.”

Biden Admin Announces New Federal Protections for Reproductive Health Records

The Biden administration issued new regulations to protect medical records for reproductive health care across state lines.

Preliminary Results Are Good for Non-Surgical Endometriosis Test

Hera Biotech company said they got good interim results from clinical trials of their endometriosis diagnostic tool.

In Messy Post-Roe World, Women Turn to Social Media for Abortion Guidance

One of the women, Sunni, told viewers that “she was craving information when she was planning her abortion. ‘This is the video I was looking for.’

Cancer Society Launches Study of Black Women

A study that aims to identify why Black women are at a higher risk of getting and dying from certain cancers.

What to Expect When You’re (Over 40)

I think that most women remember, and may even still have that book on their shelves, What to Expect When You’re Expecting. …Well, there’s no equivalent of that for women over 40. I wrote this book saying to myself, how about what to expect when you expect to live past 40?

FDA Clears New (to America) Antibiotic for UTIs

The FDA approved a new antibiotic to treat urinary tract infections in women, although the drug has been used in Europe for more than 40 years.