Whenever we start a clinical trial to test a new coronary stent we always ask ourself; “what is the best stent for our patients”? Coronary artery disease is a progressive pathological condition that results from atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. As atherosclerosis progresses from damage of the inner layer of the artery, fat or…
Heart Monitors – What every patient needs to know
My job as a cardiologist is to help make a diagnosis when symptoms arise. Once a diagnosis is made, patients can be offered therapy to help with symptoms. Patients experiencing any cardiac symptoms should consult a physician. One of the most common symptoms patients complain of is palpitations. Palpitations are any symptoms of extra hard…
Can heart attack damage be reversed?
One of the most frequent questions our patients ask after surviving a heart attack is: Can heart attack damage be reversed? Every year, over 700,000 Americans have a heart attack. Improvements in the treatment of myocardial infarction, especially with the reopening of the culprit artery with percutaneous coronary intervention, have led to a large number…
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – Symptoms and Treatment
What is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm? The aorta is the main blood vessel that leaves the heart and supplies the body with blood. The abdominal aorta is the aorta that starts below the chest and goes down to the hip area. Abdominal aortic aneurysm describes a disease process whereby the abdominal aorta dilates and becomes…
Diet And High Blood Pressure
Does diet play a role in high blood pressure? Are there certain foods that increase blood pressure or are there certain foods that can lower blood pressure or make it easier to control? In this article we will look at some of the studies that have looked at association between diet and blood pressure, and…
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…
Prediabetes – What is it and Who is at Risk?
Diabetes is one of the most significant chronic medical diseases that currently afflicts the population. Diabetes should not in fact be seen as a disease in itself but rather as a causation of several other debilitating diseases. Unlike, for example, chronic pulmonary disease which mainly effects one organ system (the lungs), diabetes causes coronary artery…
