By Julian Booker MD Although we identify only four chambers with a normal human heart, the left atrium has a small finger-like pouch attachment most commonly called the appendage. Blood flow within the appendage can be slower than the rest of the left atrium. Although many cardiologists would argue, the left atrial appendage does have…
Atrial Fibrillation – Part 1 – What is it?
Atrial fibrillation, sometimes called a-fib, is the commonest cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). In contrast to the metronome-like heart rhythm that we are used to, atrial fibrillation is characterized by an irregularly irregular heartbeat. If you were to check your pulse, there would be no pattern. The timing of your heartbeat would almost seem random.…
Stroke – Part 1 – Types of Stroke
By Julian Booker MD Stroke falls under the category of cerebrovascular disease meaning disease involving the blood vessels of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord and visual system). We all know someone that has had a stroke but many of us do not know what a stroke is. I have heard people refer to…
Understanding Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease is a condition where your kidneys have been damaged and do not perform their primary functions at peak capacity. In addition to the aforementioned duties, the kidney’s most well-known function is to help filter the blood of various toxins and excess byproducts of metabolism.
What Is A Stress Test?
Unless otherwise stated, any stress test referenced on a MyHeart related blog post will refer specifically to cardiac stress tests. Other heart related stress tests like cardiopulmonary exercise tests can be discussed at a later date. In generic terms, a stress test is a procedure to indirectly determine whether there are significant blockages in your…
Echocardiography – Part 1 – What is an echocardiogram
An echocardiogram or echo for short, is a powerful tool used primarily by cardiologists to evaluate the heart’s structure and function. An echocardiogram is a type of sonogram which means that it uses sound waves to take pictures of your heart and related structures. The system is very similar to sonar on a submarine. The…
The Fish Oil Diaries – Part 2 – Supplements and a Western diet
By Julian Booker MD What is the Western diet pattern or Western diet? The western diet is a common dietary pattern found in a number of developed countries and is growing in popularity in developing countries. There are two common characteristics found in the Western diet: The food tastes awesome The food is generally really…
Is Fish Oil Good For The Heart?
The fish oil diaries may be controversial and upset some people. Fish oil therapy has become a staple of many American’s fight against heart disease. Some take prescription fish oil, over the counter fish oil, cod liver oil, and McDonald’s Fillet-o-fish sandwich, anything to protect our hearts from having a heart attack. In reality is…
Hypertension
Hypertension, also called high blood pressure, is the condition where one or both of your blood pressure values are elevated. When looking at your blood pressure recording you will notice two numbers. The top and bottom numbers of your blood pressure measurement are called the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure respectively. For years,…
Diastolic Heart Failure
Diastolic heart failure, is when you have heart failure with a near normal (preserved) ejection fraction. This type of heart failure is related more to the heart’s inability to relax. Diastolic Heart Failure sounds like a really scary thing, but don’t write your will yet. Learn the facts from a world renowned cardiologist.
