According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. On average, someone dies of heart disease every 36 seconds in the United States. Although many factors contribute to one’s heart health, wholesome nutrition is a major factor in combating plaque buildup in coronary arteries, which results in the most common type of heart disease, coronary artery disease.

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.

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?

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.

Gregory Chapman, M.D., a professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Cardiovascular Disease and cardiologist at the UAB Cardiovascular Institute, provides an insider’s perspective on the field of cardiovascular medicine in his new book “A Strong & Steady Pulse: Stories from a Cardiologist.”

As part of a multicenter clinical trial, UAB Cardiovascular Institute surgeons implanted Alabama’s first NEXUS™ aortic arch stent graft system.

Greenville, South Carolina, resident Patrick Jones, 74, is the first person in the Southeast and the fourth person in the United States to receive the NEXUS aortic arch stent graft, a minimally invasive solution for aortic arch repair.

An estimated 11 million Americans have heart valve disease (HVD), a condition that involves damage to one or more of the heart’s valves. Symptoms often go undetected or are dismissed as a normal part of aging, yet HVD can lead to serious heart conditions or even death. This makes it especially dangerous.

The UAB Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) is again the recipient of awards for quality and performance. For 2021, three national organizations that evaluate and spotlight high-performing hospitals and health systems recognized the UAB CVI in various categories of achievement.

Medical professionals have long known that blood pressure measured in a doctor’s office may not match your true normal blood pressure. This may be due to one of two conditions that cause “false” readings, and recent research shows that both call for more consistent and accurate blood pressure monitoring.