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A SPECIAL PUBLICATION CREATED BY REPUBLIC MEDIA CUSTOM PUBLISHING
Livingwell
a-z
HEALTHCARE NEWS YOU CAN USE FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY
FEBRUARY 2016
Cardiac diseaseA-Z
Peripheralarterydisease(PAD): PAD results from hardening and narrowing of the leg arteries leading to leg weakness and pain with walking. It’s estimated that up to 12 million Americans live with PAD, said Fadi Shamoun, M.D., a cardiologist with Mayo Clinic. It’s more common among patients over age 70. Treatment of PAD includes statin drugs for high cholesterol, aspirin to prevent blood clots and medications prescribed for leg pain.
By Debra Gelbart
I
n honor of American Heart Month, we’re taking a look at some familiar terms associated with heart disease. This list is intended to be informative, not comprehensive.
Aortic aneurysm: The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the body; it goes through the chest and abdomen. An aneurysm, or balloon-like swelling, that occurs in the chest is known as a thoracic aortic aneurysm. In the abdominal portion of the aorta, it’s called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Abdominal aortic aneurysm typically is more of a problem than thoracic, said Jas Kahlon, M.D., a cardiologist affiliated with the Cigna Medical Group in the East Valley. Risks include advancing age, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Men who are current or former smokers and age 65 or over should be screened through ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysm, he said.
an interventional cardiologist with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, include managing the cause, medications to slow down the heartbeat and a procedure called radiofrequency ablation. Komandoor Srivathsan, M.D., an electrophysiologist (a cardiologist specializing in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm abnormalities) with Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, explained that during the ablation procedure, mild radiofrequency energy is transmitted to the damaged area of the heart. Heart muscle cells in a small area then stop conducting the extra impulses that caused the rapid heartbeats.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib): AFib is the
belief, cardiac arrest isn’t the same as a heart attack. In fact, said Srivathsan, who also is the director of heart rhythm services at Mayo Clinic, only a small proportion of hospitalized patients with heart attacks experience cardiac arrest — an uncontrolled, often fatal rapid heartbeat in the lower chambers of the heart.
most common type of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Risk factors include advancing age, heart disease, previous heart attack, uncontrolled high blood pressure, overactive thyroid and heart valve disease, said Troy Comstock, M.D., chief medical officer for OptumCare, one of three physician networks for UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plan. AFib occurs if rapid, disorganized electrical signals cause the heart's two upper chambers — the atria — to fibrillate, or quiver, contracting rapidly and irregularly. Treatments forAFib,said MitchellRoss, M.D.,
Cardiac arrest: Contrary to popular
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Heart failure: In some cases, the heart can't fill with enough blood — or can't pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force — leading to what’s known as heart failure. Byrne said the weak heart muscles that cause heart failure can be helped by an implantable defibrillator that sends an electrical pulse when life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms are detected. “Medications, including some of the same ones used to treat high blood pressure, can have a profound improvement on most causes of heart failure,” said Eric Steidley, M.D., a cardiologist with Mayo Clinic. “The only cure for heart failure is cardiac transplantation.”
Heart murmur: A heart murmur is an
extra or unusual sound heard during a heartbeat; when listened to with a Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy is when stethoscope, it is often referred to as the heart muscle becomes thick, enlarged or sounding like a whooshing or swishing stiff. As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart noise. A murmur can be either innocent becomes weaker and less able to pump (harmless) or abnormal. Most murmurs blood and maintain a normal electrical don‘t produce symptoms and most don’t rhythm. Kahlon said cardiomyopathy can be require treatment, but severe murmurs caused by damage from a heart attack, by a may require surgical valve repair or virus or as a result of genetics. replacement.
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Stroke: Also known as a ‘brain attack’, stroke can occur when a blood clot cuts off the blood supply to arteries to the brain. A stroke patient typically is referred to a cardiologist after the initial effects of the stroke have been treated, said Lawrence Kline, D.O., a cardiologist with HonorHealth, because so many causes of stroke are related to heart disease. Stroke risk can be linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and atrial fibrillation, he said. Stroke symptoms include sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech; sudden trouble walking; and sudden severe headache with no known cause. Zzzzs: As in get enough of them to protect your heart. No, this isn’t a heart condition per se, but Ross said not enough sleep can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. “Too little sleep or sleep apnea can increase the likelihood of heart attack, stroke and atrial fibrillation,” he said. Improving what doctors call your ‘sleep hygiene’ (habits and practices conducive to sleeping well on a regular basis) can improve your overall health, Ross said.
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