HEALTH: A Troubling Rise in Pregnancy-Related Heart Problems.

The rates of heart-related problems in women before and after childbirth have increased in the U.S., a problem that some experts think may be contributing to a rise in the country’s maternal mortality rate. The reasons behind the increase in heart problems aren’t yet clear, though researchers think women delaying pregnancy could be a contributing factor, in addition to traditional cardiovascular risks such as higher smoking rates and high blood pressure.

The number of women having heart attacks before, during and after deliveries increased by 25% from 2002 through 2013, according to a study published in July in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Around 4.5% of women who had heart attacks died, a high mortality rate for such a young age group, the researchers say. While deaths are still relatively rare, the increase in heart attacks is worrisome.

As Robert Heinlein wrote, a society based on “any foundation other than ‘women and children first!’ … is automatically genocidal.” So let’s get on this faster, please.