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Heart Health

New guidelines expand advice on who should take statins

Health Topics

Nov 28, 2016

If you’re older than 40 and have certain risk factors for heart disease, you might need statins to prevent a stroke or heart attack. New guidelines published in the Journal of the American Medical Association are expanding recommendations on who...

67-year-old volunteer chaplain given new youth after heart surgery

Health Topics

Nov 26, 2016

“I’m 67 years old, but I feel like I’m a teenager,” said Bobby Bridges, who pastors Arlington’s Mayfield Road Baptist Church, and serves as a volunteer chaplain for Arlington Police Department.Bobby didn’t always feel this young. In fact, he had...

Lifesaving heart valve surgery restored triathlete’s active life

Health Topics

Oct 28, 2016

Bill Ruth can’t imagine a lifestyle that doesn’t involve physical activity — biking, running and swimming are his passions. As a former professional triathlete and 24-year high school track coach, he and wife Sherry start almost every day with a...

Shock to the heart brings life’s rewards

Health Topics

May 31, 2016

One day in 1994, the doorbell rang at Fred and Linda Smith’s home. To their surprise, a familiar police officer’s face greeted them with a big smile as he pointed to a red bar pinned to his uniform. That red...

Professional skydiver dives head-first into cardiac rehab

Health Topics

Apr 15, 2016

As a skydiver, you live life on the edge. The exhilaration of free falling at speeds above 100 mph is the dream job for many thrill-seekers.Brazilian Paulo Marinho Gesta de Melo is one of the fearless who lives for that soaring...

Young mom’s rare heart attack was triggered by pregnancy

Health Topics

Apr 1, 2016

Leslie Zeigon just finished nursing her 10-day-old newborn when she felt a strange sensation.“It felt like someone had knocked me over the head with the worst stomach flu,” the 39-year-old mom of three said. “It came on so suddenly. I...

Heart conditions are not just for adults

Health Topics

Feb 28, 2016

When a mother is preparing for her new baby, there are hundreds of questions swirling around in her mind. One of the most important questions in prenatal care is if the baby is developing properly. We know the heart is...

There is no shame in taking care of your heart

Health Topics

Feb 26, 2016

I want to speak to my guys here. (Actually, it also applies to ladies…but guys are more mule-headed).About two weeks ago, I started feeling something I had never felt before — a fluttering in my chest, somewhat akin to strumming my...

After heart attack, woman thanks emergency team who saved her life

Health Topics

Feb 24, 2016

Garland resident Dana Corley knew she didn’t feel quite right one evening last November as she relaxed at her home.  Because she had already experienced one heart attack, Mrs. Corley, a retired nurse, kept a blood pressure cuff handy at...

Ain’t no mountain high enough for 85-year-old Marilyn Mendro

Health Topics

Feb 23, 2016

Marilyn Mendro, 85, loves the outdoors and singing. For 30 years, she sang for the Dallas Symphony Chorus and enjoyed day hikes with her husband. Slender, active and ageless in spirit, one would never know she’s had heart problems. Fortunately,...

Do you know how much exercise is best for your heart?

Health Topics

Feb 16, 2016

According to a recent survey conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, many Americans don’t know how much exercise is best for your heart.Exercise is one of the keys for preventing heart disease, but the nationwide survey reveals that only 20 percent...

Heart disease stopped Florence from teaching but led her to her calling

Health Topics

Feb 1, 2016

What do you do when a heart disease diagnosis abruptly takes away the job you love and almost swallows your life? Florence Hawkins-Criss made art.Last November, Florence’s painting series, “Listen to Your Heart,” hung in a juried show at Janette...

Starting the new year with new ways to enjoy life

Health Topics

Jan 1, 2016

Between Thanksgiving week and December 24, my gym offered a holiday challenge: Take 12 specific classes during that time period to earn a special holiday T-shirt. Truthfully, the T-shirt was semi-attractive, but I like a challenge and signed up. You...

Cardiac rehab program gets fire captain back in fire-fighting shape

Health Topics

Nov 12, 2015

Firefighters are part of a tight network, where word travels quickly when a colleague is in need.  A telephone call between two North Texas fire departments created an opportunity for the cardiac rehabilitation team at Baylor All Saints Medical Center...

Could an aspirin a day keep cancer (and heart disease) away?

Health Topics

Oct 5, 2015

New recommendations suggest that an aspirin a day could prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent advisory panel composed of medical experts. The USPSTF recommends that patients take daily low-dose aspirin...

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100-year-old patient receives new heart valve without incision

Health Topics

Jul 24, 2015

At age 100, Helen Edens has seen the world change. Born Aug. 22, 1914, Helen recalls childhood memories of horse-drawn carts bringing ice blocks to her family’s home refrigerator and her father starting the hand-cranked car. Now medical science has given...

Cardiac rehabilitation a game-changer for jet mechanic

Health Topics

Jul 8, 2015

Dressed in military fatigues and wearing his 46-pound pack, David Long looked a little out of place on the third floor of the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center. But David fits the industrial athlete cardiac rehab program perfectly.Serving both overseas...

Spectacular progress combating heart disease, but challenges remain

Health Topics

Feb 25, 2015

The progress combating death from heart disease has been nothing short of spectacular.A recent study of heart-disease deaths in the southern U.S. found that the death rate has declined by more than 50 percent in Dallas and Tarrant counties, and...

Heart healthy perspective from Baylor Scott & White doctors

Health Topics

Feb 23, 2015

During February, our thoughts often turn to valentines, chocolates and, for some, heart disease. So many of us try our best to stay healthy but we’re human.We asked several Baylor Scott & White Health physicians for practical heart healthy advice to...

Woman’s heart valve surgery a life-changing experience

Health Topics

Feb 11, 2015

Lori JohnsonLori Johnson knew she’d been feeling tired — even more tired than usual — coupled with a tough time getting adequate sleep.Her doctors had previously told her she may have congestive heart failure, but she didn’t fully appreciate what that...