The widow maker heart attack, also known as "the big one", is an acute occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery that can lead to severe heart muscle damage and/or death. If not treated in a timely matter, surviving a heart attack of this magnitude is very difficult. While visiting Austin, Texas, my wife and I…
Huff Puff: Why you might be short of breath
Why am I short of breath - could it be heart failure? The term heart failure is a frightening one – often people think about their heart stopping, ‘failing’ as the term goes – leading to death. But, as we’ve learned previously, there’s more to heart failure than the name. How does the heart pump?…
The Widow Maker Heart Attack:
The widowmaker is the quintessential heart attack. And it’s dangerous. Find out why they call this LAD blockage the widow maker, what you can do to limit the risks of such a heart attack, and how widowmaker heart attacks are treated.
How to Become a Cardiologist
The Early Stages of Becoming a Cardiologist If you are reading this article on how to become a cardiologist, you are contemplating on embarking on a long, challenging, and most importantly, fulfilling journey. The path to becoming a cardiologist, believe it or not, begins during undergrad because a career in medicine draws people who are…
Mitral Valve Regurgitation (Mitral Insufficiency)
By Mustafa Ahmed MD What is Mitral Valve Regurgitation (Mitral Insufficiency)? Mitral Valve Regurgitation also known as Mitral Insufficiency is basically a leaky mitral valve. As a doctor that specializes in heart valve disease, this is the most common valve problem I see. The mitral valve stops blood flowing backwards from the main chamber of…
Sinus Arrhythmia – What Is It?
What is Sinus Arrhythmia? What is sinus arrhythmia? Heartbeats are like clockwork. In the same way the second hand on a clock ticks regularly each second, the heart has an electrical impulse that is generated and leads to a heartbeat in a regular manner. The timing between each of these generated impulses is known as…
PVC Heart Beats – Are They Dangerous?
PVC’s are common. Some people are troubled by just a few PVC’s where as others may have a PVC heart beat almost every other beat and not even notice it. Apart from being annoying to some (symptoms are sometimes described as heart flutter), are they of long-term significance? In this article we will look at…
Afib with RVR – When The Heart Races Out Of Control
What Is Afib with RVR? Afib with RVR refers to atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate. Usually the heart is like clockwork, the top (collecting) chambers beat then the bottom (main pumping) chambers sense this and also beat, and so on, in a nice regular fashion just like a clock ticking second after second. Usually…
Heart Blockage – Explained With Pictures!
Heart blockage is a term commonly used by patients referring to coronary artery disease, a build up of plaque causing narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. This heart blockage, if severe enough can prevent the muscle getting the blood it needs to function, especially at times when more blood flow…
Leaky Heart Valve – When The Mitral Valve Fails
A leaky heart valve, when the mitral valve is the valve involved is known as mitral regurgitation. The most common cause of this leaky heart valve is mitral valve prolapse and it is the most common valve related disease in the US. Other causes include an enlarged heart and coronary artery disease. See some of…
