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8 Steps to a Healthy Heart

There are eight ways you can improve your heart health and decrease your risk of heart-related illnesses and complications, no matter your age or lifestyle. Charles Kim, M.D., FACC, cardiologist at Lovelace Medical Group/New Mexico Heart Institute, shares these tips.

1. Stop or decrease smoking

Risk factors from smoking include heart disease, chest pains, heart attack, arrhythmias, high blood pressure, damaged heart tissue and heart failure. Your risk for cardiovascular disease and disorders decreases substantially when you stop smoking.

Could you be one of the tens of millions of Americans who may have AFib and not know it?

If your heart’s aflutter, a poet may say the nervous excitement you feel is because you are in love. Your doctor, however, will tell you that your heart’s flutter could be a sign of a serious condition: atrial fibrillation.

What to do if … you have the flu

Many people believe flu season only lasts a few months, but it can stretch through seven months of the year. Learn tips on what to do if you think you may have the flu.

Lung Cancer Awareness: Early Detection Saves Lives

American Cancer Society, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer accounts for approximately 23% of all cancer deaths, making it a critical public health issue. However, early detection through low-dose CT lung cancer screening can significantly improve survival rates, offering hope for those at risk.

Don't Let the Flu Catch You - Flu shots available

The primary care physicians at Lovelace Medical Group provide high quality family medicine services for patients in New Mexico. We specialize in diagnosing and treating various health conditions. Our family medicine services include preventive health check-ups, care for chronic conditions, and guidance on nutrition, exercise, and your overall health. We also provide immunizations and vaccinations, as well as access to more specialized forms of care when needed. Choose Lovelace Medical Group for exceptional primary care that puts your wellness first.

New vaccine available for the 2024-25 flu season

A new vaccine that fights three strains of influenza is now available from health care providers across the U.S.

The most effective way to fight the flu is to get vaccinated, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the virus can spread among the population during the entire year, the flu season is generally in the fall and winter. The peak months for the flu are December through February.

While the CDC recommends you get an annual flu vaccine by the end of October, any time you get it before the peak months will help.

Heart Hospital of New Mexico - An LVAD Patient Story

Jay Border, a Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center patient, tells his story of how he received a Left Ventricular Device or LVAD. The Heart Hospital of New Mexico is the only location in the state of New Mexico to offer LVAD to patients in the surrounding areas, like Texas, Colorado and Arizona. Patients like Jay are able to live a longer life when advanced heart failure tried to take that away.

Spotting the Warning Signs of Stroke Critical for Successful Treatment

Do you know the warning signs for a stroke? Would you recognize them in someone else? What about yourself? We often think if something like a stroke has occurred, we would realize it immediately, right? As it turns out, nearly 70 percent of people who have suffered a minor stroke don’t recognize the symptoms at all. Seeking medical treatment within the first three hours is critical to successful treatment. However, according to a study published in the journal Stroke, 30 percent of stroke patients wait more than 24 hours to contact their doctor or head to the emergency room.

5 Ways to Decrease Your Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women; it is also the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a month set aside to increase awareness and education of colon cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, almost half (47%) of colorectal cancer could be prevented or significantly delayed with lifestyle and diet modifications. Here are five ways to help you fight colorectal cancer.