Being physically active is an important part of heart health, but how should one take care of their heart while playing sports or exercising?

Behold the big toe. Called the great toe in medical circles, the big toe is essential in balance, as it displaces body weight throughout the foot. Without a big toe, walking, standing and even moving may be difficult. 

“Life over limb” is not a phrase Amanda Pullen-Hendrix ever thought she would hear, especially not on her 29th birthday. But on July 12, 2020, what she at first believed was an asthma attack turned out to be a life-threatening stroke and multiple blood clots.

Have you resolved to make this the year to improve your cardiovascular health, but you aren’t sure where to start? Our heart-healthy bingo card makes it easy to break down your goal into actionable steps, tackle them one at a time, and track your progress.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Cardiovascular Institute has received two awards from the American Heart Association. UAB Hospital’s Heart Failure program won the Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure Gold with Honor Roll Quality Achievement Award for its commitment to quality management of heart failure in patients, and UAB Hospital’s STEMI program won the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Silver Plus award for its implementation of quality care for severe heart attack patients.  

This month, Adam Beck, M.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, performed the first procedure in the Southeast using a new light-based, visualization technology called Fiber Optic RealShape, or FORS.

Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and its accompanying academic medical center, UAB Medicine, is home to a growing general thoracic surgery program.

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.

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.