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, […]
Chest Pain – Part 1 – Angina
Chest pain is one of the most frightening symptoms that a person can experience. The problem is that not all chest pain is dangerous and not all chest pains are created equal. Some chest pain such as that associated with a heart attack, can be very dangerous. What makes things worse is that each person […]
Diabetes And Heart Disease
Diabetes And Heart Disease By Julian Booker MD When I am in clinic, there are very few things that drive me crazier than trying to impress upon a patient the importance of managing their cardiovascular risk. Diabetes and heart disease is an extremely important topic. Once a patient has a heart attack or heart […]
Cardiac Biomarkers – Is It All About Troponin?
Question asked by @Saroonahadnan via Twitter: I have question about…what is the first cardiac marker in a heart attack? A troponin or CK-MB? Appreciate your help. Answered by Dr. Guichard: There are three generally accepted cardiac biomarkers that are analyzed as a panel – creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase MB isoform (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin […]
How Often Should I Have a Stress Test?
By Julian Booker MD As is my usual practice with blog entries, I try to give disclaimers. These disclaimers are designed to protect YOU!! Your doctor has your best interest at heart (pun intended). Trust your doctor. If you have any reservations about your care, talk to him/her. Your clinical situation is unique. This blog […]
When can I have sex after a heart attack?
Okay. First things first. If you have heart trouble, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN before proceeding with sexual activity. You should complete a thorough history and physical exam to determine that you are indeed low risk. Now that we have that out of the way, we will review the American Heart Association’s consensus statement on sex after […]