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Rapid weight-loss diets may produce quick results, but most are hard to stick to over time, so the pounds often come back. Some can also be unhealthy – especially diets that limit important nutrients by restricting certain food groups. Experts say that safe, lasting weight loss involves realistic long-term goals, watching calories, and getting nutrients from all of the food groups.

I joined the Spain Rehab speech department in 2005 as a new speech therapist. I spent many years working with a variety of diagnoses. However, since our facility transitioned to a service line delivery model five years ago, I have primarily worked with the TBI population. I’ve always had an interest in working with the TBI population, because it means entering into the recovery process of individuals after they’ve experienced a catastrophic life event. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly, to be present as milestones are met and life starts returning to normal.

In November 2020, retired Chief Master Sergeant Patrick McCrocklin visited the medical center at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., where he assumed he would be treated for a hernia. He actually had two hernias, but doctors also found two mysterious spots on his liver. MRI and PET scans revealed stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver, and he was given just six months to live.

UABMedicine.org has a new look and feel, thanks to a major upgrade that provides a smarter and more user-friendly online experience for patients and other visitors. This upgrade to UAB Medicine’s website was designed to help patients and visitors, referring providers, job-seekers, and other users connect with us more easily.

A healthy diet requires making informed choices about food, and nutrition facts labels contain information needed to make those choices. The following information may help you better understand nutrition labels and make your food shopping smarter and easier.

It is possible to have a broken heart, though not in the way people typically think. While many people think of a broken heart on an emotional level, Gregory Chapman, M.D., a cardiologist in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cardiovascular Institute, says a broken heart can impact the body on a physical level, causing temporary cardiac episodes or, in rare cases, even death. 

For the convenience of our patients, UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine and UAB Orthopaedic Services now allow patients to schedule their own appointments online with many providers. This includes appointments at UAB Hospital-Highlands, UAB Medicine Gardendale Specialty Care, and UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine at St. Vincent’s 119.

The UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute performs human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing prior to organ transplantation, to help ensure a good match between donor and recipient and reduce the risk of rejection. This testing is carried out by the Institute’s state-of-the-art Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Lab, which plays an important role in the transplant process.

Each year, UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) recognizes a disabled individual whose courage and determination inspire hope in others who face similar challenges. The 2022 recipient of the SRC Ambassador of Hope Award is Caleb Andrews, a 28-year-old firefighter/paramedic with the Vestavia Hills Fire Department.

The on-field collapse of Buffalo Bills defensive player Damar Hamlin in January due to cardiac arrest sparked conversations about safety in the National Football League. As sports go, however, basketball players actually suffer the highest rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to show affection or celebrate romance with cards, flowers, and candy. It’s a good day for sweethearts, but it can also be a reminder of how expressions of love and caring may benefit the body. Research suggests that physical demonstrations of affection can improve some health factors and reduce the risk of heart disease.

On Feb. 17, 2020, the starting gun fired for the start of the 19th running of the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham. Veteran ultra-runner Donna Arrington, age 55, was in the field. She was on pace to finish strong until, at the halfway point at mile 13, Arrington began to feel sharp pain in her right leg.