Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Even if you don’t have a heart condition or are at high risk for developing a heart condition, eating a healthy, heart-protective diet can help you stay healthier and live longer. Beth Hils MEd, RD, LD, Dietitian at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shares the important connection between what you eat and your heart health. How Healthy Foods Protect Your Heart Following a healthy diet can protect your heart in several ways. First, following a whole-food diet including fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish, shellfish and eggs and minimally processed such as frozen produce and whole wheat flour. A…

Nourish Your Body and Mind Through Journaling What you eat impacts the way your body functions and plays a big role in your overall health. Making better food choices helps build a stronger immune system, improves digestion, boosts energy levels and reduces your risk of developing many serious health conditions, including heart disease. Ever wonder how keeping track of the things you eat can help improve your eating habits? Beth Hils, MEd, RD, LD, dietitian at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shares food journaling tips, including how to get started. Benefits of Keeping a Food Journal “Tracking food intake is a tool…

Maximizing Nutrition Without Breaking the Bank If you want to improve your eating habits by incorporating more fruits, vegetables and lean protein, you may be worried that doing so will be too expensive. While whole foods can sometimes cost more than packaged foods, there are ways to make eating healthy cost-effective. Plus, it’s always worthwhile to eat better for your long-term health. Learn how eating healthy positively affects your heart health. Beth Hils, MEd, RD, LD, a Clinical Dietitian at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, provides tips for eating healthy on a budget. 1. Plan Ahead for Grocery Shopping Check out sales…

Dale Randall takes his health seriously. His father and brother experienced heart attacks at ages 49 and 52. And, one of his sisters needed bypass surgery. So, Dale knows to listen to his heart. When he woke up with chest pain early on the morning of August 18, 2023, Dale sprang to action. “He woke me up about five in the morning and told me that he was having chest pain, and he was scared and that it felt very different than anything he felt before,” said Dale’s wife, Terri Randall. Dale wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but…

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for African Americans – and the numbers are rising. Dr. Abiodun Ishola, a cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology, at the Florence Wormald Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth provides details and explains when you should see a doctor. Risk Factors for Heart Disease Dr. Ishola shares that African Americans have specific risk factors for developing heart disease. Many of these are related to social determinants of health, or how people’s socioeconomic situation affects their health. “Locations where, sadly, we have a lot of African Americans with lower financial…

Cardiovascular is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. What’s more, African American women have a higher risk of dying from heart disease at a younger age than Caucasian women. Dr. Abiodun Ishola, a cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at the Florence Wormald Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shares some alarming facts and recommendations to help reverse the trend. Heart Disease in African American Women By the Numbers Check out the latest statistics from the American Heart Association (AHA): Increased Risk for Serious Illness Experts don’t know why, but hypertension (high…

African Americans have the highest hypertension (high blood pressure) rates of any adults in the United States. That’s significant because hypertension puts people at an increased risk for many other serious health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, kidney problems and heart disease. Dr. Abiodun Ishola, MD, an Interventional Cardiologist at the Florence Wormald Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth, offers details into high blood pressure among African Americans. Prevalence of Hypertension in African Americans According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 56% of Black adults have hypertension (high blood pressure). For comparison, 48% of non-Hispanic white adults, 46%…

Heart disease has been the No. 1 cause of death in the United States for over 70 years. In 2021 alone, it contributed to one in every five deaths. There is good news. Heart disease is preventable. And it’s possible to reverse some of the effects heart disease has on your body, says Dr. Damodhar Suresh, a cardiologist at the Florence Wormald Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Elizabeth. “Heart disease is preventable,” he says. “That’s why it’s important to be very aggressive in managing diabetes, controlling blood pressure, and controlling cholesterol.” According to Dr. Suresh, following the American Heart…

For more than 70 years, heart disease has been the No. 1 killer in the United States. It can cause coronary artery disease (narrowing or blockage of the arteries), heart attack or stroke. And you can develop it even if you don’t have a family history. As of 2018, 30.3 million American adults had some form of heart disease. But, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable. To avoid one of these life-changing events, it’s important to understand how frequently they can occur and to be proactive about…

Cervical cancer is a significant health concern, mainly for women over the age of 30. The most recent statistics, according to the World Health Organization, show that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with about 600,000 new cases in 2020 alone. In the United States, the American Cancer Society estimated that in 2024, about 13,820 women will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer. Despite these numbers, prevention, diagnosis and treatment advancements have significantly improved outcomes. The five-year survival rate for cervical cancer, when detected at an early stage, is around 92%. Understanding your risks, recognizing the…