Many health awareness campaigns around the world attribute the progression of diseases to environmental and lifestyle factors; however, genetics is often forgotten. For many diseases, a patient’s genetics is an important biological driver. Genetics is a branch of biology focusing on genes, heredity and genetic variation. All of these combine to explain how traits and diseases can be passed from parents to their children through DNA. In a consensus report summarizing the 7th World Symposium...

This week, October 18th to 24th, marks Invisible Disabilities Awareness Week. When we think of disability, we often imagine wheelchairs, casts or another visible cue. But not every disease comes with a visible sign; there may not be an obvious sign telling the world that someone is fighting hard to get through the day. Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is a prime example. On the surface, a person living with PH may look completely healthy, but inside, their heart and lungs are fighting an intense...

In Canada and around the world, June is recognized as Men’s Health Month. Men often delay seeking medical care and discussing symptoms openly, so this month, there is a heavy emphasis on encouraging men to seek support and get checked for any health concerns. The same pattern of delay in seeking medical care is also seen with pulmonary hypertension (PH), which mostly affects women. Despite the increased incidence of pulmonary hypertension in females, studies suggest that men with pulmonary...