UAB Medicine is playing a key role nationally in advancing research and treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), thanks in part to a new partnership with the American Heart Association and other U.S. hospitals. The Association is celebrating this effort by presenting UAB with a Get With The Guidelines® 2025 Innovator Award.

The UAB Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Heart Failure Gold Plus award. This quality achievement award recognizes UAB Medicine’s commitment to improving the care and outcomes for patients with heart failure.

In Birmingham, survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases lag behind national averages. But a new research effort at UAB Medicine is taking steps to close that gap – starting with a phone call.

Vein disease is more than just a cosmetic concern. It is a widespread medical condition that can significantly affect quality of life if left untreated. From persistent leg pain and swelling to visible varicose or spider veins, these symptoms often signal underlying issues with blood flow in the veins, particularly in the lower extremities.

The publication Cardiovascular Business has named UAB Medicine Quality Improvement Manager Emily Pentecost to its “Forty Under 40” class of 2025. The annual list recognizes young individuals in health care who are making a major impact in the cardiovascular field.

No one wants to think about potential health issues when traveling, but unfortunately, long car rides and flights can raise travelers’ risk of getting blood clots. With summer travels around the corner, Marc Passman, M.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy and director of the UAB Vein Program and UAB Vein Clinic, encourages everyone to assess their risk of blood clots and take preventive steps during their summer travels this year.

One Saturday morning in June, Jamie Smith, 47, began her shift at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. What Smith thought would be a normal day led to her waking up in a hospital bed three days later.

Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is a serious heart condition that affects the rhythm of the heart causing it to beat irregularly. It is estimated to affect 40 million people worldwide and 6 million in the United States alone, according to the Heart Rhythm Society. By 2035, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 12.1 million people in the United States will have AFib.

At 1:13 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2022, Haley Crumpton woke up out of a dead sleep to find her then 29-year-old-husband Blake completely unresponsive.

People who’ve had a stroke often need physical therapy as part of their recovery. Though most are age 65 or older, high-intensity gait training can be the fastest way for these patients to regain their ability to walk.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. Unlike a heart attack, which occurs from a blockage that limits blood flow to a part of the heart, SCA occurs when the heart loses function due to an irregular heart rhythm, causing breathing to stop and the individual to become unconscious. SCA can occur in anyone at any age. Experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Sports and Exercise Medicine say that, by learning the symptoms of SCA and how to respond, one could save a life in an emergent situation.

UAB Medicine’s cardiovascular MRI scanner recently was upgraded with the latest technology, enabling providers to diagnose a wider range of conditions for several key specialties.