At the age of 90, Roy “Bud” Smith still had a lot of living to do. But Bud was at a crossroads with his health. With a failing heart valve from aortic stenosis, he needed open-heart surgery. Between his age and the possibility of a difficult recovery, open-heart surgery wasn’t an option. Without intervention, Bud likely only had months left …

Intermittent fasting has risen in popularity as an effective diet and fitness tool. It has gotten a lot of attention during the pandemic as an accessible at-home diet option for people who usually spend their workdays in an office. Surprisingly, intermittent fasting has been around since the early days of humans. Hunter-gatherers didn’t always know where their next meal would …

Kenny Moore’s progressing heart failure left him unable to walk a block without becoming fatigued. His health was also declining. His heart was not pumping efficiently, and fluids were building up in his body. His doctors gave him some choices. To improve his quality of life he could get on a heart transplant list or get a ventricular assist device …

On Friday, Sept. 11, Dr. Mohamad Sinno performed the first implantation in the U.S. of a Bluetooth-enabled biventricular implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) at St. Elizabeth Edgewood. The new device, the Abbott Gallant, recently received FDA approval for a new technology assessment and is available in only a few centers in the U.S. during this assessment phase.  Internal defibrillators are implantable …

Although we are still learning a lot about how people with heart disease are affected by COVID-19, one connection is clear. The pandemic is changing how people without symptoms of COVID-19 are seeking care for other health problems they may be experiencing. “We continue to care for patients who need our help and we are still performing necessary procedures,” says …

Dear St. Elizabeth, I’m writing to thank you and the staff of your Heart & Vascular Institute for giving me my life back. I was diagnosed with aortic stenosis a few years ago and learned that this meant my heart’s aortic valve was not allowing proper blood flow. What this meant to me in the course of day to day …

The American Heart Association estimates more than 121 million adults have cardiovascular disease. How are conditions like coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and heart valve disease affected if you are suddenly diagnosed with cancer and need treatment?  Or, what if you develop heart disease from cancer treatment? This is when a cardio-oncology doctor can help. “Heart disease …