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One death every four minutes. The leading cause of disability in our country. A disease that can strike at any age. Stroke affects nearly 800,000 Americans every year, yet we are making a difference when it comes to saving lives. Over the last several decades, stroke has claimed fewer Americans - the death rate from stroke dropping 21 percent over the last 10 years alone. Stroke has slid from third to fourth among the leading causes of death in the U.S. Health care experts credit several factors - many within your control - for its continued decline. Are you doing all you can to prevent a... Read More »

Are you suffering from heart disease or have recently had heart surgery and want to live a healthier lifestyle? Exercise is the best course of action to take to keep your particular condition in control. Exercise is something than many Americans do not partake in, and it is estimated that 45% of Americans have ideal physical activity and 31% have noted that they have poor physical activity.  As a heart patient, you will want to partake in regular exercise to maintain your health.

Frequent aerobic exercise can result in moderate to large losses in body weight and body fat, and... Read More »

Heart and vascular disease often go hand-in-hand with diabetes. Anyone living with diabetes is at a much greater risk for suffering from heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure. Another vascular problem due to diabetes includes poor circulation to the legs and feet. Unfortunately, many of these cardiovascular problems can start early in life and may go undetected and untreated for years, increasing the risk of a major cardiovascular event.  Silent heart disease in young people with diabetes  Serious cardiovascular disease can begin before the age of 30 in people with both Type 1 and... Read More »

Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist Dr. Mathew Good and wife, Bethany, join us on the blog to share their tips for better nutrition for the entire family.

For many people the idea of eating healthy sounds completely boring. Images of tiny portions of tofu and steamed, slimy  kale parade through their minds. For others, the idea just seems overwhelming. Planning meals, researching recipes, grocery shopping, balancing nutrients, counting calories - it can all get downright intimidating. 

Perhaps you are one of these people. Or perhaps your doctor has suggested that you start... Read More »

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) affects as many as 600,000 Americans each year and can be deadly. DVT occurs when a blood clot develops in a vein deep in the body. Deep veins are found within groups of muscles. These are different from the veins close to the skin, which are called superficial veins.

While these clots most often develop in the lower legs or thighs, they may appear in the upper body, such as the arms or other locations in the body. DVT is a risk after any major surgery, but patients who have surgery of the legs or hips are at greater risk.   DVT can pose a serious threat to... Read More »

Fortunately John’s wife, Kathy, was home when he suffered a massive heart attack on December 6, 2014 while putting up the Christmas tree. “I felt really clammy,” he says of taking a break to sit down on the couch. That is the last thing he remembers before being transported in the ambulance to Oklahoma Heart Institute. “My wife called 911, performed CPR and brought me back to life.”

Cardiologist Dr. Robert Smith and the cardiac catheterization lab team where ready for John’s arrival. “By the time paramedics got me into the elevator, they said I sat up, said I didn’t feel well and went... Read More »

 

Heart failure chips away at quality of life slowly overtime. What may begin as fatigue or less of an appetite, becomes something more that makes it difficult to enjoy staying active with family and friends. Difficulty breathing when sleeping and waking exhausted or even a persistent cough begin to consume each day and night. Not only is it becoming more difficult to walk out to the car, it's uncomfortable - as swelling in the legs and feet make socks and shoes feel tight. It is a condition more than 6 million Americans are living with today and one of the top reasons people over... Read More »

Varicose Veins are enlarged, gnarled veins that often appear blue, flesh-colored, or red. They often appear tangled and for some, they are simply a cosmetic concern, while they can cause pain for others. Chances are you probably know someone who has dealt with varicose veins, as more than 40 million Americans have them. 

Typically, varicose veins do not cause any pain. However, some symptoms include achy, heavy feeling in the legs, burning, throbbing, muscle cramping and swelling in the lower legs, pain after standing for long periods of time, and itching around the veins.  Another... Read More »

Sclerotherapy is a procedure that effectively treats varicose and spider veins. This treatment is often performed to treat small varicose veins. It involves injecting a solution directly into the vein which causes the vein to scar up and collapse, allowing blood to be rerouted through the healthier veins in the body. The collapsed vein eventually fades within a few weeks, although it may take up to a month to fully fade. Some patients may require several sclerotherapy treatments.

The treatment is done primarily for cosmetic purposes as it improves the appearance of spider and... Read More »

“I would come home and cry at the end of the day,” shares Coral Fairress, 44. Over the course of seven years, throbbing leg pain left Coral exhausted and nearly unable to move after standing for eight hours or longer working as a bartender. Although a specialist in Oklahoma City discovered five blood clots in her leg, the cause remained uncertain and was thought to be the result of taking birth control after the age of 35. However, the pain continued and Coral felt that wasn’t the answer to her problems with her leg pain and blood clots. Coral’s primary health care provider, Utica Park... Read More »