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Heart Health

After heart surgery, father walks daughter down the aisle

Health Topics

May 21, 2019

When Jim Eiler found out he had a family history of high cholesterol, he knew he had to do more to take care of his health. The devoted father of four started eating better and playing tennis several times a...

Why a healthy lifestyle (not a daily aspirin) is key to preventing heart disease

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Mar 22, 2019

After decades of viewing daily low-dose aspirin as the standard recommendation for preventing cardiovascular disease, it seems the time for change has come.There has been ongoing discussion and study about the value of aspirin for over 30 years in both...

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How this woman’s smartwatch detected her hidden heart arrhythmia

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Feb 25, 2019

Wearable devices and smartwatches have many practical uses, but did you know they can help detect heart problems lurking beneath the surface?75-year-old Elizabeth Turner loves gadgets — a love that may have saved her life. Her daily workouts include weights...

Aortic stenosis: How it feels when your heart is working overtime

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Feb 22, 2019

Aortic stenosis has an ominous ring to it, and for good reason. Constricting the body’s most vital artery can diminish your life — and shorten it. But there are more options than ever to relieve the stress on your heart...

Why do women wait longer to get help during a heart attack?

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Feb 18, 2019

Toward the end of my internal medicine training at Baylor Scott & White and just two months before starting my cardiology fellowship training at the University of Oklahoma, my 29-year-old cousin died of cardiomyopathy a week after giving birth. This...

After heart attack, woman thanks firefighters who saved her life

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Feb 15, 2019

Cheryl Sepmoree remembers she didn’t want to go into downtown Dallas to work one Saturday in September 2018. But she had made a commitment, so Cheryl drove into the office. Little did she know that just blocks away, two Dallas...

How a routine physical detected this man’s dangerous heart blockage

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Feb 11, 2019

Gary Aspelin has lived a life of wonder and adventure, traveling to almost 40 countries with his wife of over 50 years by his side. After a shocking discovery at his annual physical, Gary was faced with a new kind...

Could your toothbrushing habits predict your risk of heart disease?

Health Topics

Feb 7, 2019

From an early age, your parents probably instilled in you the importance of brushing your teeth. Every day, twice a day, for two minutes. After years of their encouraging (and sometimes nagging), it became a habit like any other.Research suggests...

How a patient’s heart attack inspired his heart surgeon to get better

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Feb 5, 2019

As a heart surgeon, Baron Hamman, MD, is often the inspirer and encourager for his patients to take better care of their hearts. But something about one patient’s story made him stop and think — was he practicing what he...

Is coffee good for your heart?

Health Topics

Feb 5, 2019

Every day, I get up and make myself a cup of coffee. I used to drink instant, moved on to pods and then ultimately graduated to grinding my own. I drink about 2-3 cups during the day, sometimes more if...

Demystifying thoracic outlet syndrome: What you need to know

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Feb 1, 2019

Imagine yourself in this scenario: The fingers on your left hand are numb. There’s pain off and on in your shoulder and neck. Your grip is suddenly weak, almost as if your muscles are wasting away. And yet, the doctors...

A year after my heart attack during the Dallas Marathon, I finally crossed the finish line

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Dec 14, 2018

A year ago, I had a heart attack in the middle of the Dallas Marathon relay, right around mile marker nine. One minute, I was running. The next, I was on the ground.My heartbeat stopped for more than two minutes,...

Blood clots: The scary side of holiday travel

Health Topics

Dec 11, 2018

Whether you’ll be boarding a plane, hopping on a train or getting behind the wheel, you’ll likely be one of the millions of Americans joining the annual holiday travel rush. You’ve probably checked off the typical items on your preparation...

28-year-old woman with rare heart disorder dedicates career to saving others’ hearts

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Oct 3, 2018

Chelsea Morris has a passion for fixing hearts. If you happen to see her working at Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas, it’s hard not to notice her joyful spirit and infectious smile.But behind her positive...

How a simple test can help tailor aspirin doses for heart disease

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Sep 18, 2018

You’ve probably heard the recommendation: If you’ve already had a heart attack, take a low-dose aspirin daily.But is that enough?Beyond its pain-relieving effects, aspirin blocks an enzyme pathway that helps platelets in the blood stick together. This lowers the risk...

New therapies offer hope for patients living with pulmonary arterial hypertension

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Sep 17, 2018

When most of us hear “hypertension,” we immediately think of blood pressure issues all over the body. But people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have problems in a very specific area: the blood vessels running from the heart to the...

New MRI allows scans of patients with conditional or legacy pacemakers and defibrillators

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Aug 25, 2018

Many people probably associate MRIs with sports injuries, as they await news of test results that determine how long their favorite athlete will be sidelined.But for more than two decades, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been a crucial tool for...

Innovative heart device explores connection between AFib and stroke

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May 28, 2018

A recent innovation in heart rhythm monitoring has given neurologists and cardiologists a crucial new tool in detecting a potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib.A-fib, one of the leading causes of stroke, is a condition that...

Women and heart disease: It’s not just a man’s problem

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May 12, 2018

Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes are listed as some of the leading causes of death in women across the globe. But in the United States, the number one killer of women may come as a shock: heart disease.Heart disease has...

What to expect when you go to the ED with chest pain

Health Topics

May 5, 2018

Retail health centers, urgent care facilities and freestanding emergency rooms sprouting around the United States may be equipped to treat minor illness and injury.But patients experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, which might signal a heart attack, should go...