The UAB Sports Medicine Cardiology Clinic helps young athletes with heart (cardiac) problems return to the playing field quickly and safely – including patients affected by COVID-19. Located at UAB Hospital-Highlands, the clinic is a partnership between the UAB Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Opened in May […]

The aorta is the main vessel that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body, and it is made up of 3 layers. An aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the aorta that occurs between the inner and middle of those 3 layers. As the tear extends along the […]

Heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death and a major cause of disability. Heart disease can be inherited (congenital) or acquired during a lifetime of factors such as a damaging diet, lack of exercise, and the presence of stress. Most commonly, heart disease affects the coronary arteries, where plaque obstructs blood flow in […]

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD, or simply alpha-1), is an inherited genetic disorder that may cause lung disease in adults and liver disease at any age. For people with this condition, the abnormal alpha-1 antitrypsin protein builds up in the liver instead of being released normally into the body. The condition affects about 1 in every […]

An aneurysm occurs when a weakening in the wall of an artery allows the vessel to bulge out like a balloon. Normally this is caused by a combination of potential risk factors including smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, advanced age, or weak vessels due to conditions such as connective tissue disorders. Aneurysms can occur in any […]

Heart valves help ensure that blood only flows in one direction through the heart. Aortic insufficiency is a heart valve disease in which the aortic valve does not close tightly, allowing a small amount of blood to flow in the wrong direction from the aorta (the largest blood vessel) into the left ventricle (a chamber of the heart). This makes […]

Aortic periprosthetic leak, or aortic periprosthetic valve leak, is a condition that sometimes occurs following surgery to replace the heart’s aortic valve with a mechanical valve. Periprosthetic essentially means “around the prosthetic,” which in this case refers to the mechanical valve. Periprosthetic leakage (PPL) is one of the most common reasons a second surgery is […]

Aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve, the valve that allows blood to flow from the heart’s lower left chamber into the aorta and to the entire body. The narrowing prevents the valve from opening properly, forcing the heart to work harder. This causes pressure to build up in the lower left chamber […]

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a problem present at birth that involves the structure of the heart, its valves, or blood vessels. It is the most common type of birth defect, affecting about one in 100 babies. There are many types of congenital heart disease; some are mild, showing no signs or symptoms and often […]

There’s no such thing as an ordinary heart problem – especially when that heart belongs to you or someone you care about. Trust your heart to the Cardiovascular Institute at UAB Medicine, which is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50 hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. From high blood […]

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Cardiovascular Institute has received four prestigious awards from the American Heart Association for its commitment to improving outcomes for patients with heart failure through reduced readmissions and more healthy days at home.