Time after time I come across patients who are suffering from stable coronary artery disease (heart disease) who, through no fault of their own, are under the impression that they can’t partake in any form of ‘strenuous’ activity, as it would be detrimental to their health. It is astonishing that they think they cannot or […]
Do I Need Antibiotics For Dental Work With Mitral Valve Prolapse?
The Controversy.. Take Them .. Take Them ..Take Them …. Don’t take them By Mustafa Ahmed MD In 2007 the American Heart Association (AHA) released an updated set of guidelines regarding the use of antibiotics to prevent heart valve infection in patients undergoing procedures such as certain dental procedures. The guidelines caused a great deal […]
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.
Chest Pain – Part 3 – Still More Types of Chest Pain?
As much as I may not want to admit it, there are other things that can cause chest pain other than issues with your cardiovascular system. Most of these things annoy me because they don’t deal with the heart but I can’t deny that they are important. We will spend this post reviewing some of […]
Chest Pain – Part 2 – More Chest Pains
When we last spoke, we were discussing angina. We now know what it usually feels like and what it usually means. But there are many other reason to have chest pain, some dangerous and some not. We will spend the next bit of our time today discussing some causes of chest pain not related to […]
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 […]
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 6 – Getting To The Bottom Of It
By Mustafa Ahmed MD MVP – Controversy and Frustration There are very few conditions that have drawn as much controversy and as much frustration for patients and physicians over the years as mitral valve prolapse. On one hand, if anyone with MVP asks a physician what the significance of their mitral valve prolapse is, they […]
Aortic stenosis – What Is It?
By Julian Booker MD Our body’s primary artery, the aorta, supplies blood to the entire body. The aortic valve allows blood to flow from the heart into the aorta but prevents blood from leaking back into the heart. In aortic stenosis, sometimes called aortic valve stenosis, the aortic valve does not open normally. This […]
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 […]
PFO anyone?
By Julian Booker MD Help!! It’s an emergency!! I have a hole in my heart!! My last doctor performed an echocardiogram and told me I have a patent foramen ovale (PFO). What does this mean? More importantly, what does this mean for me? The foramen ovale is a shunt that is a necessary component of […]