Heart Blog
Check out the latest research, patient stories and hear from our Heart team.

February 19th, 2019
4 Foods and Drinks That Are Doing You More Harm Than Good
By Katie Abbott MS, RDN, INHC Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Ornish Lifestyle Medicine™ If you sneak maraschino cherries out of the jar for a quick, sweet snack, you should probably think twice. Maraschino cherries have the…
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February 8th, 2019
Who Has Your ❤️ Heart?
Staying healthy and accountable is more fun together. This Heart Month, grab your best friend, spouse, or parent and head out for a walk, cook a healthy meal together or discuss your family’s health history. Heart…
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February 26th, 2018
VIDEO | Family History and Heart Health
By Jessica L Waddell MSN, FNP Nurse Practitioner We all know eating healthy and exercising can go a long way toward our heart health, but we also must contend with factors we can’t control – our…
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February 20th, 2018
VIDEO | Part 2: Learning Why Family History Matters
The story continues as Jenna, a Sentara Healthcare employee, learns why it’s important to know your family history when it comes to heart disease.
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February 12th, 2018
VIDEO | Part 1: Discovering a Family History of Heart Disease
Watch the story of how an 18-year-old, now 28, discovered her family history of heart disease and learned how it would impact her life. #28DaysofHeart
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February 2nd, 2018
ODU Athletics Teams with Sentara Heart on Student-Athlete Cardiac Program
A program, spearheaded by Sentara Heart cardiologist George Sarris, to screen all incoming student-Athletes for potential heart disease, is currently being implemented at Old Dominion University (ODU). The heart testing services provided, electrocardiograms (EKGs) and echocardiogram (ECHOs),…
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February 2nd, 2018
Pulmonary Hypertension: Diagnosis, Symptoms and Treatment
Pulmonary arterial hypertension—a progressive, life-threatening, debilitating form of pulmonary hypertension—is high blood pressure of the lungs due to narrowing of the pulmonary arteries. It forces the right side of the heart to pump so hard to…
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February 1st, 2018
Innovations Changing the Heart Game
Not everyone is equally at risk of heart complications, but having access to cutting edge treatment and technology levels the playing field. Advancements in all areas of heart health – from devices to procedures – have…
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February 1st, 2018
Electrophysiology: An Electrician for Your Heart
In many ways, your body is like a machine, full of interconnected parts that rely on each other to function smoothly. And the “electrical box” in this intricate machine is your heart. Your heart uses electricity…
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February 1st, 2018
Gear Up for Game Day: 8 Heart Healthy Exercises You Can Do At Home
This Sunday is game day and for many people that means food, football and fun. Before you break out the game day snacks and find your spot on the couch, make time for an at home…
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February 1st, 2018
Sentara Heart and Ornish: Working Together to Reverse Heart Disease
Perhaps you have been diagnosed with heart disease. Or maybe you experienced a heart attack or had heart surgery. You know what a wake-up call it can be: A clear sign that it’s time to make…
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January 28th, 2018
Top 5 Ways You’re Accidentally Ambushing Your Heart
Here’s the bad news: when it comes to controlling our heart’s fate, we can’t control all of the factors that affect our heart health, like heredity and medical history. However, there are some risk factors for…
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