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“I’ve played football my whole life basically,” 17-year old William McKenney shares from his Tulsa home on a humid August afternoon. In just a few short hours, he will return to Booker T. Washington High School for six hours of pre-season football practice. “I love it. You’ve got to love the game to play it. I love the game.” The senior safety doesn’t mind putting in the work. After all, this is arguably the most important season of his career. “After high school I’d like to go on and if I get the opportunity to play college football and move onto the next level and play in the NFL, I’ll... Read More »

September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, as well as National Yoga Month. Previously on our blog, we have shared what researchers are finding with regards to how a regular yoga practice can help patients with AFib. Today, Bethany Good, Dr. Mathew Good's wife, joins us for another edition of The Good Life with an introduction to yoga for anyone who has been interested in starting a practice. 

Please join us Saturday, September 19 at Whiteside Park (4009 S. Pittsburg Ave.) in Tulsa from 9 to 11 a.m. for a free yoga session to celebrate World AFib Awareness Day. The... Read More »

Each September two observances coincide – Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Awareness Month and National Yoga Month. Recently, Oklahoma Heart Institute has recognized these opportunities with events to educate the public on the most common heart arrhythmia in the United States and the benefits yoga can have for those who suffer from AFib. Last September, as dozens gathered at Guthrie Green in Tulsa and rolled out their red yoga mats, Rex Wilson, 53, eagerly waited to learn more from Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. David Sandler. “My heart was not in constant rhythm,” Rex... Read More »

Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist Dr. Mathew Good and his wife, Bethany, share their tips and strategies for striving to live a healthy life with a busy growing family. Today, Bethany joins us on the blog to share how they plan for kids going back to school and schedules once again, getting busy.

As much as we love the lazy days of summer - splashing in the pool, roasting s’mores and family road trips - I find myself craving the routine and consistency of a school day now that Labor Day Weekend has officially wrapped. Whatever your kids’ ages, from little ones going to preschool... Read More »

“I didn’t take it seriously,” admits Donnie Lord. “I thought, ‘that’s something I can deal with later.’” At 46 years old, Donnie thought he had more time to address his deteriorating health. “I was pretty unhealthy. I was overweight, out of shape. I smoked for 20 years – you name it.” The intersection of letting healthy living go by the wayside and a strong family history of diabetes and heart disease met Donnie head on in November of 2014. “I started having pressure in my chest that didn’t go away.” Donnie headed to the Emergency Department at Bailey Medical Center in Owasso, OK. Medical... Read More »

Three years ago we posed the question: “Can we wipe out heart attacks?” on our blog and made a case why the answer could be “yes.” At the time, we were learning more about the impact of the Dallas Heart Study on genetics and coronary atherosclerosis. Researchers determined from a pool of more than 6,000 people, that if you have very low LDL (bad cholesterol), you are unlikely to develop cardiovascular heart disease. Bottom line – 80 to 90 percent of all heart attacks could be eliminated (wiped out) altogether. Furthermore, what fueled this discovery – the existence of a gene mutation... Read More »

While it may seem like there are new drugs coming on the market all of the time, that is not the case with the class of drugs for the treatment of heart failure. In fact, the last time the FDA approved a heart failure drug was in 2005. However, cardiologists now have a new reason to get excited about the treatment of heart failure patients with the FDA-approval of LCZ696, also known as Entresto, last month.  

After disappointing results from previous drugs in development, Entresto demonstrated reduced heart failure deaths and reduced hospitalizations due to heart failure in the... Read More »

Saturday, August 8, 2015, Edith Ellis celebrated her 104th birthday.  She is the oldest patient of cardiologist Dr. Arash Karnama and one of the oldest patients at Oklahoma Heart Institute. Those are distinctions that don’t seem to get to Edith, however. In fact, she wears them with pride. She’s quick to recall the time she was recognized by an Oklahoma City publication for being the oldest realtor in the state at the age of 98. She beat out the next oldest by only a few months.

The dawn of her 80-year career actually began in health care. “When I graduated from high school, in... Read More »

Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist Dr. Mathew Good’s wife Bethany joins us on the blog to share tips for helping you and your family improve your nutrition through clean eating. The Goods have shared their motivation for cleaning up their diets and now share tips for getting started, recipes and a grocery list.

Two-and-a-half years ago we “went clean” and drastically changed our eating habits. Meal planning and yes, even snack planning, became crucial to our new lifestyle. We had always heard of the concept of “clean eating,” but honestly it just kind of ran together in our minds... Read More »

Even if you are not one of the estimated 60 million Americans affected by chronic sleeplessness, it is likely you have experienced times in your life when sleep was disrupted (or short-term insomnia.) Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders. For those who suffer, they have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both. That means rarely having the opportunity for truly adequate sleep. Insomnia sufferers wake feeling tired and begin the cycle all over again the next night. Chronic insomnia takes a toll on personal relationships, work performance and most of all, health.

... Read More »