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Heart Health Tips

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  There are several risk factors that contribute to heart disease.  Some risk factors, including gender, age and family history are uncontrollable, while other risk factors can be modified with lifestyle changes.  Hover over the images to take your first steps to lower your risk of heart disease and start your journey to a healthier life.

Stop Smoking

smoking
According to SmokeFree.Gov, quitting lowers your blood pressure and heart rate almost immediately - decreasing your risk of a heart attack in just 24 hours! Take the first steps to life without tobacco by building your quit plan today and take it one minute, one hour, one day at a time.

Eat Better

veggies
Eating better can start with a single serving. Serve up better heart health by adding color to your plate with fresh fruits and veggies. Find what works for you and your family by exploring healthy recipes, meeting with a dietitian, or taking a guided tour of your local grocery store!

Get Active

exercise
Get up and move more as part of your everyday routine. Start by adding exercise, and gradually increase your daily activity with small changes. Take a walk, park further away or take the stairs to add physical activity. Track your activity and you will see even small steps throughout the day can add up to improve your heart health.

Find a Healthy Weight

weight
Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of chronic disease and promote overall health. The easiest way to maintain a healthy weight is to understand how many calories you take in compared to your activity level. Not sure where to start? Try using a journal or health app to track the food and drinks you consume throughout the day.

Manage Your Blood Pressure

blood pressure
About 1 in every 3 adults has high blood pressure. Reducing high blood pressure by even small amounts can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. You can monitor your blood pressure with your medical provider, free community screenings and health kiosks at local malls and retailers.

Control Your Cholesterol

cholesterol
Cholesterol is an important number to know. When too high, it can raise your risk of heart disease. Balancing your fats and fibers and exercising can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Make sure you know your numbers through local screenings or a visit with your primary care physician.

Reduce Your Blood Sugar

glucose
More than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes. Many do not know they are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, getting your blood sugar (or glucose) tested regularly is the first step to lowering your risk! You can check your blood sugar level by talking with your medical provider and/or free community screenings.

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Cardiac Testing at Missouri Baptist Medical Center

Diagnosing a heart condition often requires a combination of cardiovascular diagnostic and screening tests. These advanced tests can often determine the existence, type and severity of heart disease.

At Missouri Baptist Medical Center, our Cardiac Diagnostics Center is equipped with advanced technology and expertly trained staff to conducts these tests. Your test results will be evaluated by a board-certified cardiologist on staff at MoBap and discussed with your physician to tailor a treatment plan for your specific condition.

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Heart Matters: Father-Son Heart Surgery Strengthens Bond

When the need for surgery arose, this close-knit family made the decision to travel to St. Louis for a second opinion and care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MoBap). However, Matt and Bill never expected to be in the hospital at the same time, much less have heart surgery on the same day.

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MoBap Celebrates 1,000 TAVR Case Milestone

On December 6, 2022, Missouri Baptist Medical Center performed its 1,000th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

“We are proud to reach this milestone,” says Michael Mauney, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at Missouri Baptist. “MoBap was among the first medical centers in the nation to adopt this procedure following FDA approval in Fall 2011.”

TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure for replacing a stenotic (tight) aortic valve in which the aortic valve narrows, reducing blood flow from the heart to the aorta. This procedure can also replace failed artificial aortic and mitral valves. TAVR is a treatment option to be considered for those with severe aortic stenosis, including many with worn-out surgical valves.

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Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Helps Tom Return to the Basketball Court

Tom Caspari thought he was too healthy to have a heart attack.

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Mitral Valve Replacement

When Tina needed a new mitral valve, she benefited from BJC HealthCare’s collaborative approach to care that connected her with a multidisciplinary team of heart specialists. Her journey included seamless coordination between medical teams at two BJC HealthCare facilities: Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MoBap).

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Dr. Stewart Gets a “Second Chance at Life” After Heart Attack

Todd Stewart, MD, is no stranger to critically ill patients and life-saving procedures. As a spinal neurosurgeon and chief of neurosurgery at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, it’s all in a day’s work. But it came as a shock when he suffered a life-threatening heart attack last year.

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Stock photo of young family in kitchen preparing healthy meal

Online Heart Health Assessment

Are you at risk for a heart attack? Learn about your risk factors with our online heart health assessment tool and find help for improving your results.

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Washington University Heart Failure Center at Missouri Baptist

At the Washington University Heart Failure Center at Missouri Baptist, we use a team approach to develop an individualized plan of care for you to manage your disease.

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Missouri Baptist Heart Center Symposium: Unstable STEMI Patient

Friday, February 28, 2025
8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel - Chesterfield
16625 Swingley Ridge Rd.
Chesterfield, MO 63017

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Mending Hearts

Tracy Pick and her mom, Betty Mesplay, are no strangers to heart procedures. But this time the mother-daughter duo would be going through recovery together.

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Heart Health Tips

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  There are several risk factors that contribute to heart disease.  Some risk factors, including gender, age and family history are uncontrollable, while other risk factors can be modified with lifestyle changes.  Learn how you can make changes to improve your heart health.

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Swing the Hammer Event Celebrates Construction of Cardiovascular Hybrid Operating Room Suite

In June 2024, Missouri Baptist Medical Center held a “Swing the Hammer” event to celebrate the construction of the new cardiovascular hybrid operating suite, which is scheduled to open in December.

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Her Heart Health

A woman's heart is different. Many women may not experience chest pain. Their warning signs are non-specific and often easily overlooked. 

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Living (Well) With Congestive Heart Failure

Follow these tips to live a healthier life with congestive heart failure.

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Cardiac Surgeons Discuss Valve Disease and New Treatment Methods

Cardiac surgeons at MoBap talk about valve disease and new treatment methods, including minimally invasive surgery.

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Recipes for Your Health

Tasted, tested and analyzed by dietitians at Missouri Baptist Medical Center

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Recovery is a Journey

Scott Winder had been having trouble breathing and wasn’t sleeping well. Like many people do, he dismissed the symptoms until one day at work, his suddenly racing heart, sweating and worsening breathing problems sent him to the  Emergency Department at Parkland Health Center in Farmington.

Scott walked through the doors of the emergency room and collapsed.

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Arrhythmia Center

At the Arrhythmia Center at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, we want to help you understand everything there is to know about arrhythmia, especially finding the right treatment just for you. Our goal is to keep you and your heart healthy.

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Saving Heart Muscle, Saving Lives

In 2008, cardiologists at Missouri Baptist Medical Center developed the Heart LifeLine Alliance in partnership with rural hospitals, medical helicopter and ambulance services.

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Heart Valve Surgery Gives New Lease on Life

Looking forward to resuming their active lifestyle in 2022, Connie and Arlin have two trips planned early in the year. Connie said that her heart surgery has given her a new lease on life. "Every time I'm at Missouri Baptist, I feel cared for, listened to and taken seriously. I always tell people that if you have heart problems, go to MoBap."

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Investing in Heart Health

As a designated Level 1 Time Critical Diagnosis ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) Center, Missouri Baptist Medical Center treats some of the region’s most complex cardiovascular cases. In addition to its role as a Level 1 STEMI center, Missouri Baptist is a comprehensive cardiology center, offering a leading electrophysiology program.
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New Technology for Treating Cardiac Arrhythmias

The new technology at MoBap — robotic magnetic navigation (RMN) — introduces the benefits of robotic precision and safety to cardiac ablation, a common, minimally invasive procedure used to treat arrhythmias

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Deborah Quesenberry volleys during paddleball.

An Unexpected Diagnosis

When Deborah Quesenberry attended the Missouri Baptist Heart Fair in February 2017, she wasn’t expecting to have a diagnosis of a serious health problem.

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Losing More Than Sleep

Everybody suffers occasionally from not getting enough sleep. But a lack of sleep can do more than just make you feel tired the next day. Chronic sleep problems can be a contributing factor to more serious health problems.

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