Sodium is a naturally occurring mineral found in salt. And while sodium is essential for several functions in our body, most of us eat too much of it on a regular basis. Dr. Sudha Jaganathan, a Cardiologist specializing in heart failure at the Florence Wormald Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth, explains how excess sodium affects our bodies and …

When Don Sosnoski first arrived in September for physical therapy at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, he was recovering from multiple rounds of pneumonia. He had severe swelling in his lower legs and trouble breathing. He needed two people to help him stand, move between chairs and get out of bed. Therapy exhausted him. “I couldn’t walk anymore,” he says. “I’d have …

Experiencing cancer can be difficult for you and your loved ones, physically, mentally and emotionally. Whether you live in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky or Southeastern Indiana, the newly named cancer center at St. Elizabeth, the Yung Family Cancer Center, is a place of healing and hope. We offer world-class cancer care minutes from your home. You’ll find comprehensive services to meet …

Is anxiety a mood disorder or is it a physical reaction to emotional stress? The answer is that it can be both, but the difference between having a short-lived reaction to feeling anxious and having an anxiety mood disorder is like the difference between driving in a light rain shower and navigating a tsunami.  Anxiety disorders are the most common …

Women and Stroke: The Facts Are Alarming According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five women in the United States will have a stroke in her lifetime. Nearly 50 percent of first-time strokes occur in women and 60 percent of stroke deaths are in women. Stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer and is the third …

Menopause: It’s that time of life where you’re just as likely to break down crying at the grocery store as you are to snapping at the next person who tells you good morning. If you’re at the age for menopause, you will start experiencing a lot of body and hormonal changes that can leave you feeling depressed, anxious, angry or …

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. But you can take control of your heart health by following simple lifestyle changes to reduce your risks. An online program developed by St. Elizabeth Healthcare offers tips, tools and strategies for living a life free from heart disease. Jeanie Foley is a registered nurse and the prevention and …

It’s no secret that smoking harms your health. But you might not realize just how bad it is. Joyce Jacobs, a Nurse Navigator at the Florence Wormald Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth, explains how smoking severely damages the heart, blood vessels and arteries and leads to life-threatening conditions. How Smoking Damages Your Heart and Vascular System “Nicotine in …

During the years surrounding menopause, you may not always feel like yourself. Hormone fluctuations can cause symptoms such as mood swings and night sweats — common perimenopause and menopause symptoms that some women find severe — that may make you feel downright strange. Those features are frustrating enough, but more unusual menopause symptoms may leave you thinking, “Seriously?”  One such …