Health Headlines - 2-17-19

In today's health headlines we talk about the 9 months of pregnancy and how this time can reveal heart issues in expectant moms as well.

Expectant moms should talk to their doctor about diet, exercise and more.

14 US citizens on the cruise ship have been put in quarantine due to coronavirus.

IT'S A FIRST OF ITS KINDSTUDY... LOOKING AT WOMEN'SHEART HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY.IT FOUND... THOSE NINE MONTHSARE A CRITICAL PERIOD... NOTJUST FOR MOM... BUT ALSO FORHER UNBORN BABY.SARAH DALLOF EXPLAINS.PREGNANCY IS AN EXCITING TIME.BUT IT'S ALSO STRESSFUL-EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY- FOREXPECTANT MOMS.08S/ DR. AMANDA MARMA PERAK/NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 2:14"HER BODY HAS TO CARRY MOREWEIGHT, SHE HAS TO PROCESS MOREENERGY TO FEED THE BABYAND HER HEART HAS TO PUMP MOREBLOOD.

SO PREGNANCY CAN REVEALHER UNDERLYING CARDIOVASCULARRISK."BUT THE CURRENT STATE OF HEARTHEALTH IN PREGNANT WOMEN IN THEU-S IS FAR FROM IDEAL.A NEW STUDY- PUBLISHED IN THEJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEARTASSOCIATION- LOOKED AT ATHOUSAND EXPECTANT MOMS.AND FOUND JUST FIVE PERCENT HAD"HIGH" CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH.60 PERCENT WERE CONSIDERED"MODERATE"..... AND 35 PERCENT WERECONSIDERED "POOR".NOT ONLY PUTTING MOMS AT RISK...BUT ALSO THEIR UNBORN CHILDREN.S/ DR. AMANDA MARMA PERAK/NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY "THEMATERNAL ENVIRONMENT AS THE BABYGROWS AND DEVELOPS CAN PROGRAMTHE BABY'S LATERCARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH.

YOU CANTHINK OF IT AS WRITING ACOMPUTER PROGRAM THAT THEN RUNSTHROUGH THE BABY'S LIFE ANDDETERMINES THE BABY'S RISK FORCARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AS THEYBECOME AN ADULT."HEART HEALTH WAS WORSE AMONGYOUNGER PREGNANT WOMEN ... ANDAFRICAN AMERICANS.HOWEVER, THE STUDY'S AUTHORS SAYMORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TOUNDERSTAND WHY.

OVERALL... THEYLOOKED AT SEVEN KEY METRICS...THINGS LIKE DIET... EXERCISE...WEIGHT...GLUCOSE... CHOLESTEROL..

SMOKINGAND BLOOD PRESSURE.

S/ DR.AMANDA MARMA PERAK/ NORTHWESTERNUNIVERSITY"OVERWHELMINGLY, IT WAS DIET ANDPHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT WEREWORSE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN."HEALTH EXPERTS SAY EXPECTANTMOMS SHOULD SPEAK TO THEIRDOCTORS..BUT A DIET HIGH IN FRUITS,VEGETABLES AND LEAN PROTEINS.... ALONG WITH MODERATE EXERCISECAN HELP KEEP A HEART HEALTHY...... THROUGH PREGNANCY ANDBEYOND.AS FOR EXERCISE..

THE STUDYFOUND..

ONLY 25 WOMEN WEREGETTING 150 MINUTES OFPHYSICAL ACTIVITY EVERY WEEK.HALF OF THEM SAID... THEY DIDN'TEXERCISE AT ALL.OF THE HUNDREDS OF AMERICANSQUARANTINED ON A CRUISE SHIP INJAPAN....FOURTEEN OF THEM HAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN BROUGHTBACK TO THE U-S.THOSE WHO TESTED POSITIVE FORTHE VIRUS... WERE PLACED INISOLATION CHAMBERSON THE PLANES... FOR THE 12-HOURFLIGHT -- AND ARE NOW BEINGTREATED AT THEUNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICALCENTER.THE OTHER PASSENGERS WERE TAKENTO MILITARY BASES IN TEXAS ANDCALIFORNIA... WHERE THEY WILLSPEND AT LEAST 14 MORE DAYS INQUARANTINE.MEANWHILE... MORE THAN ATHOUSAND OTHERS ARE QUARANTINEDON ACRUISE SHIP..

OFF THE COAST OFCAMBODIA.ALL 22-HUNDRED PASSENGERS ANDCREW ON THE "WESTERDAM" WERESCREENED FORTHE VIRUS... BEFORE DOCKING INTHE COUNTRY.THE COMPANY WAS LETTING PEOPLEGET OFF THE SHIP... UNTIL AN83-YEAR-OLD AMERICANWOMAN... TESTED POSITIVE FOR THEVIRUS... AFTER FLYING TOMALAYSIA.ALL REMAINING PASSENGERS ANDCREW ARE NOW STUCK ON BOARD...AND AR