There are almost 100 000 heart valve replacement surgeries in the United States every year. This includes the most common which are mitral valve replacement and aortic valve replacement. In general there are 2 choices for type of surgical heart valve replacement, mechanical valves or bioprosthetic valves. When choosing the valve type its important to…
Fast Heart Rate – Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
A fast heart rate is known as tachycardia and commonly defined as a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute. Although a fast heart rate is commonly defined as a heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute, there is no specific cut off for what defines a significantly fast heart rate or a…
My Child Passes Out
Do you have a child who passes out? Passing out/falling out/fainting, or what is medically termed syncope, commonly occurs in older children and adolescents. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people will have an episode of syncope during their lifetime and accounts for 3-5% of emergency room visits. It is more frequent in females…
Stem cells in the treatment of a heart attack: a Non-STEMI
What is the role of stem cell treatment of a heart attack: non-STEMI? Non-STEMI or Non-ST elevation Myocardial Infarction is the dominant presentation of acute coronary syndrome. This occurs when the blood supplied to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked. Other presentations include unstable angina and STEMI or ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Patients presenting…
Surviving a Heart Attack: the Big One!
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…
Cholesterol treatment and atherosclerosis: a new frontier
The problem with cholesterol treament and atherosclerosis: Over the last decade, cholesterol treatment and atherosclerosis has evolved significantly. Atherosclerosis is a general term for hardening and thickening of the arteries. In its most common form, atherosclerosis is a slow progressive disease that usually starts in early adulthood and becomes dangerous later in life. Atherosclerosis is a…
Stem Cells in the Treatment of Heart Failure
Can stem cells help improve heart muscle in patients with congestive heart failure? The use of stem cells in the treatment of heart failure cases is currently being investigated. Cardiovascular disease is the # 1 killer in the United States accounting for one third of all deaths. Heart disease kills more people than cancer, HIV, diabetes or trauma. Many advances in…
CT Coronary Artery Calcium Heart Scan – The Facts
What is a CT Coronary Artery Calcium Heart Scan? The coronary artery calcium heart scan is a CT scan of the heart that looks for areas of calcium in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. The amount of calcium detected is then added together to give a score. The more calcium there is,…
Look Inside The Heart Arteries
Hollywood dreams of the future often involve medicine and how we will “look inside” the human body. Modern medicine continues to evolve and we are growing closer to realizing this dream. Most of our tools that allow us to “look inside” the body give us a relatively large area that is imaged, and the equipment…
Can Heart Disease Be Reversed?
Reversing Heart Disease Reversing heart disease is a holy grail of cardiology. It’s scary when you are told that you have a blockage in your arteries causing symptoms and are at increased risk of a heart attack. It’s even scarier when you are told you may need open-heart surgery or other procedures such as stents…
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