Heart failure and exercise: Strengthening your heart and safely combating heart failure Heart failure is a condition that means your heart can’t pump blood as well as it should. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 6.2 million American adults have heart failure. Heart failure was mentioned on the death certificates…
If you are diagnosed with heart failure, your prognosis depends on many factors, including age, stage of heart failure, underlying conditions and strength of heart function. There are three types of heart failure, and the prognosis for all is similar. The good new is you can recover from heart failure. Heart failure does not mean…
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute on the Norton Audubon Hospital campus now has new space that will bring together seven specialty services in one location. This includes the addition of electrophysiology (a test performed to assess the heart’s electrical activity for abnormal heartbeats). Norton Healthcare has invested $10 million to make this new outpatient cardiovascular…
Pam Jeffries’ symptoms presented themselves in the form of a question. “[Pam’s] two grandkids kept asking, ‘Pawpaw, why does Grandma keep repeating herself,’” her husband, Rick Jeffries, said. “The strange thing was, living in the moment, I never knew anything was wrong.” That’s when Rick began paying closer attention. He noticed his wife was different….
Knowing how to check for breast cancer with a self-exam can be an effective way to be aware of any changes in your breasts, but isn’t a replacement for an annual screening mammogram or a clinical breast exam. Breast self-awareness is a way to improve overall breast health and make it more likely you will…
These days, Bob Krueger spends a lot of time on the road. Every few weeks, he drives roughly 200 miles from his home in Franklin, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky. The time in the car is long, but it gives Bob, his wife Anita, and his daughters some much-needed time to talk, bond and play some…
Early signs of a heart attack, or “beginnings,” occur in more than 50% of people who have a heart attack. If recognized in time, these early symptoms can be treated before the heart is damaged. “If you have early warning signs of a heart attack, don’t dismiss it — it’s a chance for you to…
After getting the flu vaccine, some people may feel lousy for a bit, causing them to wonder “can you get the flu from the flu shot?” If you have a mild headache, fever, nausea, muscle aches or fatigue after getting the flu shot, it’s because your body is doing what it should. The vaccine triggers…
Cancer can come in like a wrecking ball, turning lives upside down. When the dust settles, it’s up to you to figure out how to move on. For Shavonda Offutt, that was especially true. On April 16, 2021, Shavonda was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She learned from Blakely D. Kute, M.D., medical oncologist…
Studies on the advantages of the Mediterranean diet have long shown it to be beneficial for heart health, reducing the risk of stroke and even decreasing the risk of diabetes. A new study also shows that following a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy can improve a child’s neurodevelopment. The diet focuses on whole grains, beans, seeds,…
You may know blood pressure and cholesterol play a role in conditions like diabetes and heart disease, among others. But do you know how triglycerides fit in and whether you should have high triglycerides or low triglyceride levels? What are triglycerides? When you eat, your body turns excess calories, alcohol or sugar into triglycerides and…
On the back side of Scottsburg High School’s campus in Southern Indiana, behind the football field, sits a small, purple brick building. There’s no air conditioning, and the sound system barely works. The sounds you can hear are those of a group of boys maneuvering around a wrestling mat, practicing their takedowns and pins. They’re…