When it comes to celebrating the holidays, Santa Claus is one of the leading experts. Good old St. Nick gets a lot right this time of the year, as he keeps up with the demands of delivering toys to children around the world. He gets lots of activity, has a supportive spouse, spends time with animals, and engages in positive thinking – all of which are wonderful stress-relievers during the holidays.

The holidays bring a lot of joyful events and good food. But preparing for those events can be stressful, and the abundance of delicious dinners and treats may put a dent in diet plans. Also, cold weather and fewer daylight hours can make you less physically active, keep you indoors, and dampen your desire to exercise.

You can’t change your age, but you can change your “heart age”. Heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels after adjusting for your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Most adults in the United States have a heart age older than their actual age, placing them at greater risk of a cardiac event. Click to see the most common reasons for a higher heart age that can be changed or managed.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit has received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Silver Beacon Award for Excellence. This award recognizes health care organizations, like UAB Hospital, that provide exceptional care through positive patient outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction.

The annual UAB Medicine Service Awards were created to recognize employees for years of faithful service and acknowledge the hard work and special contributions they make to our organization. These outstanding staff members play an important role in meeting the growing needs of our community, and their service is deeply appreciated. As part of this recognition, two of our longest-serving employees – Doris Brown and Thurman Richardson – share a little about their experiences at UAB Medicine.

Heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death and a major cause of disability. Among conditions that lead to heart disease, diabetes qualifies as a major risk factor. Therefore, managing diabetes is one of the most important things people with the condition can do to limit their risk of heart disease.

UAB Medicine was recognized by Vizient Inc. for making significant improvements in its year-over-year rankings and scoring in the top quartile on the Vizient Quality and Accountability Scorecard.

UAB Cardiovascular Institute electrophysiologists completed the first commercial procedure in the United States using first-of-its-kind ablation technology to treat patients with atrial fibrillation. The new technology, the Medtronic DiamondTemp™ Ablation system, is the first FDA-approved, temperature-controlled, irrigated radiofrequency ablation system with diamonds currently available to deliver ablations. 

Medical experts have been trying to discover links between diabetes and cancer for decades. Some research suggests that the diseases may share underlying causes, or that one disease may influence or cause the other.

The UAB Medicine Monoclonal Antibody COVID Clinic (MAC) and the COVID Respiratory Clinic now offer same-day and next-day appointments.

Cardiovascular experts have good news for trick-or-treaters of all ages. It is possible to indulge in the candy festival known as Halloween and still maintain a reasonable level of heart-healthy habits.

Halloween is the official holiday of fear, when haunted attractions and horror movie marathons offer plenty of scares. But here’s an important Halloween question for medical experts: Is it possible to be frightened to death?