Duke Health

Emily DePetris was diagnosed with liver disease over a decade ago. In 2024, she underwent a liver transplant at Duke Health and is amazed at how good she feels now. These days, DePetris helps families make decisions about organ donation when their loved ones are at the end of life. “There isn’t a day that I don’t push myself to do better, be better, because I was given this amazing second chance at life,” she said.

Imagine pouring bacon grease down your kitchen sink every day. Eventually, the pipe clogs, and water no longer drains. Now imagine that the pipe is a vital artery, and the bacon grease is cholesterol-- a fatty buildup that clings to blood vessel walls. When cholesterol completely blocks blood flow, a heart attack or stroke can strike.

According to Duke cardiologist Nishant Shah, MD, regularly checking and managing your cholesterol levels is one of the easiest ways to prevent cardiovascular disease in the future. Here Dr. Shah explains why it’s important to test your cholesterol levels and when to consider medication.

A year after a reverse shoulder replacement, Vicki Reynolds won a kayaking competition. She has her doctor to thank, and a word of encouragement for people facing similar injuries. “You’re like, 'Oh, I'm injured. This is the end.’ And it's not.”