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, so for a short period of time, I basically died out on the course. … Continue reading A year after my heart attack during the Dallas Marathon, I finally crossed the finish line
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 to-do list: making travel arrangements, buying gifts, finding a pet sitter, packing your suitcase and … Continue reading Blood clots: The scary side of holiday travel
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 personality, she has a serious heart condition. At the age of 12, Chelsea was … Continue reading 28-year-old woman with rare heart disorder dedicates career to saving other’s hearts
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 that blood clots will form, which can lead to heart attack. But it … Continue reading How a simple test can help tailor aspirin doses for heart disease
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 lungs. With that important highway clogged, they can’t get enough oxygen. To compensate, their blood … Continue reading New therapies offer hope for patients living with pulmonary arterial hypertension
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 cardiologists to examine the heart and vascular system and plan the most effective treatment. … Continue reading New MRI allows scans of patients with conditional or legacy pacemakers and defibrillators
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 A-fib. A-fib, one of the leading causes of stroke, is a condition that leaves blood stagnating in the heart instead of being pumped through the body, forming … Continue reading Innovative heart device explores connection between A-fib and stroke
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 long been associated as a man’s condition, but this is one of many misconceptions … Continue reading Women and heart disease: It’s not just a man’s problem
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 straight to an emergency room in a hospital. Here are some reasons why. When … Continue reading What to expect when you go to the ED with chest pain
When I was growing up in Georgia, my mother put meatloaf on the table all the time. We ate burgers and hot dogs like everybody else and didn’t think anything about it. I don’t remember ever eating fish at our house. This was before we had all the studies about the negative effects of cholesterol, … Continue reading Why I went plant-based and why my patients should too
