Cardiologist Lily Dastmalchi, DO, earns national menopause specialization credential

Female doctor listening to senior woman's heart in exam room

Lily N. Dastmalchi, DO, MA, FACC, FASPC, MSCP, is board certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography and internal medicine. She leads the development of menopause services at Inova Schar Heart and Vascular and is one of the only cardiologists in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area who has earned a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) credential, affirming…

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Inova becomes first health system to implement new GE HealthCare MRI technology designed to advance cardiac imaging

Group of cardiologists, radiologists, MRI technologists and leaders gathered in front with giant scissors.

Fairfax, VA – Inova was the first health system in the world to implement GE HealthCare’s SIGNA™ Sprint Elite[1], a next-generation MRI system developed to advance cardiac, oncologic and pediatric imaging, as well as imaging for patients with implanted devices. The system is designed to enable more efficient, high-resolution imaging while keeping patient comfort at…

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The American Heart Association has updated high blood pressure guidelines

Healthcare provider measuring a mature man's blood pressure using blood pressure cuff.

In August 2025, the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) published updated high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) guidelines. The guidelines, updated for the first time since 2017, include several new recommendations that patients and their primary care providers should know. “These are the most up-to-date guidelines for treating patients with one of…

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Saved by heart surgery, sustained by compassionate care

Gary Hughes sitting next to his wife Elizabeth Schill Hughes. He has his arm wrapped around her and both are smiling.

Six years ago, Gary Hughes scheduled what he thought would be a routine checkup. Instead, his physician delivered a startling message: “I can hear your heart in the next room – you need to see a cardiologist right away.” Gary’s cardiologist diagnosed an abnormal valve requiring surgery – a shock for someone who felt healthy…

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Medicare expands coverage for innovative procedures to treat stubborn high blood pressure

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently completed its analysis of two procedures to help people with tough-to-treat high blood pressure (also known as “resistant hypertension”). The CMS analysis expands insurance coverage to these procedures for Medicare patients. Inova Schar Heart and Vascular offers both procedures – radiofrequency renal denervation (known as rRDN)…

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Specialized care team for Cardiomyopathy improves outcomes

Palak Shah, MD (second from left) joined patients who received a ventricular assist device, along with their families and caregivers, for a reunion celebration.

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle itself. While other forms of cardiovascular disease are in the heart’s valves or blood vessels, cardiomyopathy means that the heart muscle doesn’t work as well as it should. Some kinds of cardiomyopathy are common – one in 500 Americans has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, for example – while others…

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What can a preventive cardiologist do for you?

Doctor examines senior woman, listens to heartbeat in the doctor's office

Inova’s preventive cardiology services can help you identify and reduce your heart disease risk When most people think of cardiology, they think of providers who focus on treating existing cardiovascular disease, from heart attacks and valve disease to heart rhythm problems and heart failure. And of course, many cardiologists do focus on these areas. But…

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Six scenarios for consultation with an advanced heart failure specialist

Heart failure affects a large, diverse patient population, and many diseases fall under its broad umbrella. These factors, together with ever-evolving guidelines for medical therapies and newly approved treatments hitting the market, make it difficult to pinpoint specific clinical criteria that warrant consultation with an advanced heart failure and transplant team. “My rule of thumb…

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Collaboration and innovation equals a multidisciplinary dream team for complex aortic disease

The aorta and its major arteries carry blood to all the body’s essential organs. Because of this, an aortic aneurysm or dissection can be quite serious. Should surgical treatment be needed to avoid a life-threatening rupture, there are a wide variety of possible approaches available, with a broad range of open and endovascular options supported…

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