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What Is the Best Diet After a Heart Attack?

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:26:35 +0000

What diet is best for you after you've had a heart attack, or after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease? Until recently, dietary recommendations for people with coronary artery disease have been largely guesswork. But recently, evidence from clinical studies has clarified the answer.

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Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) for Heart Failure

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:56:29 +0000

In some patients with heart failure, a new kind of pacemaker can re-coordinate the muscular function of the damaged heart, relieving the symptoms of heart failure, and reducing the odds of dying. Read about CRT here.

Pulmonary Embolus

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:21:06 +0000

Pulmonary embolus - a blood clot that becomes lodged in the pulmonary artery - is a very common and very serious problem. Up to 30% of people who have pulmonary embolus will die unless they receive treatment.

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Why You Should Quit Smoking TODAY

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:16:34 +0000

Everyone knows that smoking accelerates atherosclerosis, and makes heart attacks more likely over time.

But did you know that the cigarette you smoke today could cause a heart attack TODAY? Or that if you quit smoking today, your risk of a heart attack is substantially reduced by tomorrow?

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How Syncope Should Be Evaluated

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:10:19 +0000

If you have had syncope (transient loss of consciousness), your doctor will want to do an evaluation to figure out what caused it. Fortunately, in most cases the evaluation of syncope should be pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, too many doctors fail to approach this problem in a systematic way, and their patients can wind up having unnecessary tests and experiencing unnecessary anxiety.

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The Long QT Syndrome

Mon, 06 May 2013 07:05:14 +0000

The Long QT syndrome is an inherited disorder of the heart's electrical system that can cause sudden death, even in young, healthy individuals. Read about long QT syndrome, its causes and treatment, here.

Syncope and Its Causes

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:26:21 +0000

The medical name for fainting spells, or a temporary loss of consciousness, is syncope (sin-co-pee). Syncope is a pretty common symptom, and it it thought that most people will experience syncope at least once in their lives. Still, because it may be a sign of a serious underlying medical problem, if you have syncope, you should contact your doctor to discuss the need for an evaluation.

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Pacemakers

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:10:52 +0000

Here is a brief description of pacemakers - what they do, how they are inserted, and what it means to have one.

Postpartum Cardiomyopathy

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:09:39 +0000

On rare occasions, pregnancy can lead to a condition called postpartum cardiomyopathy, or pregnancy-associated heart failure.

Women who develop postpartum cardiomyopathy experience the onset of heart failure either during the last month of pregnancy, or within five months of delivering a baby. These women have no prior underlying heart disease, and no other identifiable reason to develop heart disease. Their heart failure can be a temporary, self-limited condition, or can progress to severe, life-threatening heart failure.

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Should You Take Prophylactic Aspirin?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:36:26 +0000

Aspirin, that commonly-used pain reliever and anti-inflammatory drug, can be useful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke. But you should consider preventive treatment with aspirin only when, in your particular case, the likely benefits outweigh the risks.

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