A new study by UTMB Drs. Hsu-Ko Kuo and Ken Fujise appearing in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests an association. It looked at 2,450 women between the ages of 20 and 59 and found 60 who reported being told by a physician they’d suffered a heart attack or stroke. Of those, 39 had HPV and 21 did not.

After adjusting for diabetes, smoking habits and other risk factors that influence heart-disease risk, the researchers concluded the odds of developing cardiovascular disease were 2.86 times higher in women who had the types of HPV associated with cancer compared to those who weren’t infected by the virus at all.

The study’s findings are receiving widespread coverage, appearing in The New York Times, NBC Nightly News, USA Today, MSN, WebMD, U.S. News & World Report, CBS News, MSNBC and many other news outlets.

Dr. Ken Fujise serves as Director of Division of Cardiology at UTMB. He sees patients in the Surgical Specialty Care Clinics at Victory Lakes. To schedule a Cardiology Appointment please call 832-505-1800.

February is American Heart Month. Dr. Ken Fujise, head of the division of cardiology at UTMB Health, and Dr. Naveed Adoni, a cardiology resident, wrote about the importance of knowing about the risks of heart disease in women. “Heart disease globally is the single largest cause of death among women. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that one in three women die of heart disease in America, and they are four to six times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer.”

Fortunately, most cardiovascular disease is preventable in women. Some preventive measures include:

• Not smoking
• Avoiding secondhand smoke
• Exercising 30 minutes a day
• Consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Limiting total salt intake to less than 1 teaspoon a day

To read the entire article please click here. Dr. Ken Fujise, head of the division of cardiology at UTMB Health, is now seeing patients at UTMB Specialty Care Center at Victory Lakes. To schedule an appointment with the cadiologist expert, please call the Surgical Specialty Care Clinic at 832-505-1800.

One of the six new operating rooms, as it looked in early January.

The Surgery Center at Victory Lakes will bring together a team of specially trained, highly skilled staff and physicians. Six operating rooms make up the OR suite, and contain state-of-the-art equipment tailored to the needs and techniques employed by the university’s physicians to provide optimal care. With a focus on innovation, quality care, patient safety and satisfaction, the surgery center will provide a great setting for our physicians to practice efficiently and a convenient place for our patients to get surgery.

The surgery center, set to open this spring, will accommodate patients in numerous medical care specialties: orthopaedics; gynecology; ophthalmology; urology; plastics; ear, nose & throat (ENT); uro-gynecology; vascular; pain; and general surgical procedures including bariatrics. Our renowned physicians—who are educators as well as surgeons—will offer a wide range of surgical services. The Surgery Center at Victory Lakes is part of UTMB’s vision of comprehensive health care and is one of the first of its kind to be housed in a professional setting alongside multi-specialty clinics. The center will provide quality, cost-effective and convenient alternatives for those that do not require inpatient hospital care.