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Two political icons who helped bring down communism will discuss their battles against the Soviet Union and heart disease. Former President of Poland and Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa and former U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson will be interviewed by CNN's Larry King at the Leading Hearts gala in Houston. President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush will serve as honorary chairs. www.MethodistLeadingHearts.com.

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Dr. Heitham Hassoun will join the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in August, bringing his expertise in minimally invasive vascular surgery to Houston. Hassoun's expertise includes repairing aortic aneurysms, carotid stenosis and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) through small puncture holes rather than incisions.

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U.S. News & World Report has recognized The Methodist Hospital in Houston as one of the nation's best hospitals, placing it for the first time on the magazine's prestigious Honor Roll.

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This is stunning new technology that gives physicians the ability to see the inside of the human body like they have been able to before, without opening up the patient. It's going to change the way surgeons prepare and perform surgery and the way radiation oncologists plan and deliver radiation treatment. Another application currently being worked on will allow physicians to superimpose the patient's image over the patient during surgery and perform said surgery. It's being used *exclusively* at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

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A story about how serious hip injuries are sometimes misdiagnosed as groin pulls.

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Dr. Xian Chang Li, a national leader in the field of organ transplant tolerance and rejection, has accepted the position director of immunology in the Immunobiology Research Center at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston.

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Tips for what to do during a hurricane if you shelter in place and also special care for elderly patients.

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As hurricane season gets under way, dialysis patients should begin planning now so they are not stuck in a storm without electricity to run their life-saving equipment. ER physician provides tips on how to prepare.

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A story about how type 2 diabetes symptoms can show up 10 years before diagnosis without warning.

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The Methodist Hospital in Houston this week opened a multidisciplinary valve clinic that provides one-stop-shopping for patients with complex diseases of the cardiac valves.

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How social networking sites can provide moral and nutritional support for people trying to lose weight.

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Cancer research story ideas from The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, include: Thermal heat therapy for patients with recurrent brain tumors; Screening study evaluates markers in breast cancer patients; First worldwide lung cancer vaccine study under way.

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A story about filling the gaps left when metal or plastic parts have to be taken out when a hip or knee becomes infected.

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Story ideas for National Stroke Awareness Month from The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, include: Neuroprotectant drug studied in ischemic stroke patients; Stroke isn't just your grandparents' disease; F.A.S.T. recognition of stroke symptoms; African-Americans have highest risk of stroke in the U.S.; Devices facilitate gait training during stroke rehabilitation.

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Dr. Andrew G. Lee, a neuro-ophthalmologist specializing in the evaluation of optic nerve disorders, joins The Methodist Hospital as the new chair of ophthalmology.

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Dr. Alan Lumsden, international leader in the field of endovascular surgery, was recently named medical director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center at The Methodist Hospital.

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Four Texas Medical Center institutions have joined together in the fight against retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer of the eye.The new center will be the only one in the nation using gene therapy in clinical trials to treat and potentially find a cure for retinoblastoma.

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A few months ago, 63-year old Leona Carter could no longer use her right arm. She couldn't raise it, brush her teeth or get dressed. A recently developed "“ and radically different "“ prosthesis, called a reverse total shoulder, offered the best chance of decreasing her pain and improving shoulder function.

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There are stories about three topics: Total wrist replacement, golfers and rotator cuff injuries and foot drop.

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A variety of women's health news briefs from The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. Topics include: sleep, atypical stroke symptoms in women, heart health, colorectal cancer and yeast infections.

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The return to daylight saving time each spring affects the sleep patterns of millions of Americans. Dr. Aparajitha Verma, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at The Methodist Hospital, answers some of the most common questions about how to practice good sleep hygiene before March 8 rolls around so you don't lose an hour of sleep.

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Dr. Wong's research combines genomics with advanced imaging and biosensing techniques for more personalized medical care. His goal is to take the guess work out of treatment decisions, saving cost and time, both of which are precious commodities for patients with cancer or neurodegenerative diseases.

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A story about how patients need to ask the right questions before picking a physician to perform a colonoscopy.

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Many injuries can occur on Super Bowl Sunday to the casual fan watching the game.

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Heart disease is the nation's number one killer for women. For many women the signs of a heart attack can go unrecognized. Dr. Karla Kurrelmeyer, cardiologist at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston, offers the following information for women.

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Evidence shows that even a modest weight reduction in obese people could save them a lifetime of health problems, especially heart disease.

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The Methodist Hospital System is ranked No. 8 among FORTUNE magazine's 2009 "100 Best Companies to Work For," making the list for the fourth year in a row and remaining the highest ranked company in Texas.

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Finding cures for hearing loss, breast cancer and childhood cancer and a way to identify people at risk for tuberculosis are goals of the first recipients of grants from the Virginia and L.E. Simmons Family Foundation Collaborative Research Fund.

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Two common biomarkers have now been shown to improve our ability to predict who will suffer a stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of disability. Because stroke is preventable, accurate risk assessment is imperative.

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This is a story of how people who are in the hospital for the holidays can still make the season a happy one.

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We all know that exercise is good for us, but why, exactly? What does exercise really do for us, for our bodies, for our minds, for our social lives? Physicians propose their Top 10 list of reasons to exercise this holiday season.

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Researchers from two of the nation's largest industries "“ medicine and energy "“ will come together Dec. 8, 2008, to explore synergies in moving oil and pumping blood.

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Surgeons in Houston were the first in the nation Thursday to inject highly-concentrated stem cells directly into a patient's heart, providing an intense, direct hit on damaged heart tissue.

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Money problems can lead to a number of problems for married couples.

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Imaging technology may relieve cancer pain. Physicians are studying ways to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound to relieve some of the most intense pain resulting from cancer that has spread to the bones.

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Don't let the fact that the flu vaccine didn't work last year keep you from getting a shot this year.

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Three small stories about how to stay health this holiday season.

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The T.L.L. Temple Foundation awarded $5.8 million to The Methodist Hospital to create a much needed advanced stroke program in East Texas, where the mortality rate from stroke is the highest in Texas and up to four times the national average.

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) researchers at The Methodist Hospital in Houston have shown that transplanted bone marrow stem cells can attach themselves to injured areas in the brain or spinal cord, possibly providing a way to deliver future gene therapy. This, according to Dr. Stanley H. Appel's study published in the Oct. 14, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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People shouldn't let last year's flu vaccine debacle prevent them from getting a flu shot this year.

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A larger population of breast cancer patients now have a more effective treatment option for targeted partial breast radiation therapy that reduces treatment from months to days. The Methodist Hospital is the first in Houston to use the Contura Brachytherapy procedure.

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A type of white blood cell that is important to the immune system may provide hope for new therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as other neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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A 55-year-old grandmother is producing insulin on her own after her islet cells were removed from her pancreas and implanted into her forearm a few weeks ago at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

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Stroke experts at The Methodist Hospital in Houston are the first to develop and use 13 quality measures - previously considered too complicated to apply by hospitals - for a national comprehensive stroke center model, as recommended by the Brain Attack Coalition (BAC) and appearing in the Sept. 5 issue of Critical Pathways in Cardiology.

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Five years ago, ophthalmologists started using steroid injections as a new way of treating diabetics with swelling in their eyes. Now, research shows that the traditional treatment for this disorder is still more effective, according to results in the online edition of the journal Ophthalmology.

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September is Women's Health Awareness & Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas offers the following story ideas: 1) Gynecologic cancer awareness; 2) MRI/breast cancer test for women with implants; 3) Women's Heart Health; 4) Stroke in women.

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The Methodist Hospital in Houston was named one of the top 100 Most Wired hospitals in the United States.

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Heart disease is the nation's number one killer for women. But, the well-known heart attack symptoms "“ acute pain, tightness, burning and a dull ache in the chest "“ describe what men typically experience during an attack. For many women the signs of a heart attack are completely different and can go unrecognized. Women tend to ignore signs of heart attack, thus increasing the likelihood of tragic consequences. With heightened attention to the facts about symptoms and treatments, much of this can be prevented.

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An ER doctor with The Methodist Hospital in Houston answers questions about how to stay out of the emergency room this summer.

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Methodist International (MI), a subsidiary of The Methodist Hospital in Houston, has signed an unprecedented agreement with Emaar Healthcare Group (EHG), the healthcare subsidiary of United Arab Emirates-based Emaar Properties, to build, operate and manage its health care centers throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. Methodist is the first Texas Medical Center hospital to expand its operations outside the United States with a presence in the Middle East.