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Cholesterol Level Evaluator – How do your cholesterol numbers compare?

October 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

cholesterol calculatorYou just had a blood test and the lab mailed you a sheet of numbers. But what do they mean? Here’s a quick guide as to how your numbers stack up compared to the guidelines published by the National Cholesterol Education Program. Of course you need to talk to your doctor about your own personal cholesterol goals. Depending on your family history, health profile and personal risk factors your goals are likely to differ from the NCEP guidelines. You can learn more about Cholesterol and your heart health at Cardiologist.org

Enter Total Cholesterol:

Enter HDL:

Enter LDL:

Filed Under: Diagnostic Procedures, General, Heart Health, News, Research Tagged With: , ,

Nuts Help Lower Cholesterol

November 7, 2010 By 1 Comment

A recent study proposes that eating nuts on a daily basis improves blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. The study took place at Loma Linda University in which researchers looked at 25 cases on nut consumption in 7 countries.

They examined 583 men and women with various cholesterol levels. The nuts evaluated included almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, macadamia nuts and peanuts. The patients in this trial ate approximately 67 grams of nuts per day. The results — a 5.1% reduction in total cholesterol concentration, and a 7.4% reduction in LDL (bad cholesterol). In addition, triglycerides measurements declined by 10.2%.

Nuts should be included in your therapeutic and dietary interventions for improving cholesterol levels. It should not be the sole source of dieting for your cholesterol treatment. Also, moderation is key. Please limit yourself to a maximum of 3 ounces per day because nuts have high calorie density.

Filed Under: Diet, Heart Health Tagged With: ,

Heart Valve Disease

November 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Heart valve disease is when one or more of your heart valves do not work properly. The heart, as we might know, has 4 valves: the tricuspid, the pulmonary, the mitral, and the aortic valves.

The valves work by opening their flaps to allow blood to flow into the ventricles, the heart’s two lower chambers. A brief moment later, the ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves shut tightly to stop the blood from flowing backward into the atria. With these contractions, they pump blood through the valves and to the pulmonary artery, which carries blood to the lungs to get oxygen.

Heart valves can have 3 basic kinds of problems: regurgitation, stenosis, and atresia. Regurgitation, or backflow, occurs when a valve doesn’t close tightly. Blood leaks back into the chambers rather than flowing forward through the heart. Stenosis occurs when the flaps of a valve thicken, stiffen or fuse together. This prevents the heart valve from fully opening. As a result, not enough blood flows through the valve.  Atresia occurs when a heart valve lacks an opening for blood to pass through.

Currently, there are no medications that cure heart valve disease. However, lifestyle changes and medicines can relieve symptoms and problems. These types of treatments can also lower your risk of develop other life-threatening conditions.

Filed Under: General, Heart Health Tagged With:

Guidelines for Management of Congenital Heart Disease

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you are wondering what the procedure and guidelines for Management of Congenital Heart Disease diagnostic, the National Guideline Clearinghouse of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided a thorough summary. Below is a brief excerpt from the guideline:

Evaluation of the Unoperated Patient

  1. Clinical examination for signs of atrial septal defect (ASD)
  2. Imaging studies (e.g., electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging)
  3. Maximal exercise testing
  4. Cardiac catheterization

Management Strategies

Medical Therapy

  1. Cardioversion after appropriate anticoagulation
  2. Rate control and anticoagulation

Interventional and Surgical Therapy

  1. Percutaneous or surgical closure of the ASD
  2. Concomitant maze procedure for intermittent or chronic atrial tachyarrhythmias in adults

Postintervention Follow-Up

  1. Evaluation for postpericardiotomy syndrome with tamponade
  2. Annual clinical follow-up in defined patient subgroups
  3. Evaluation for possible device migration, erosion, or other complications

Reproduction

Discouragement of pregnancy in patients with ASD and severe pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) (Eisenmenger syndrome)

For the complete guideline, please visit the website here.

Filed Under: Guidelines, Heart Health

Infective Endocarditis

September 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Formerly known as bacterial endocarditis, this condition is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or the heart valves. This can potentially damage or destroy the heart valves.

What causes it? Infective endocarditis happens when bacteria in the bloodstream get lodged onto abnormal heart valves. This bacteria is commonly found after many invasive procedures. Endocarditis does not usually occur on normal hearts, but rather on people with preexisting heart conditions. Some conditions include:

  • an artificial (prosthetic) heart valve
  • a history of previous endocarditis
  • heart valves damaged (scarred) by conditions such as rheumatic fever
  • various kinds of congenital heart defects
  • hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • people who have had a heart transplant who develop a heart valve abnormality

Treatments for endocarditis include long-term, high-dose antibiotics in order to get rid of the bacteria. Treatment is usually given at the hospital for 4-6 weeks, depending on the specific type of bacteria. It  will be up to your physician to choose the best antibiotic treatment for you. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to replace damaged heart valves.

For more information on prevention and possible complications of this condition, please visit the National Institutes of Health website, here.

Filed Under: Heart Health Tagged With:

Pericarditis

September 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Also known as pericardial disease, pericarditis is the inflammation of any part of the pericardium, which is a thin fibrous membrane sac that surrounds the heart and consists of an inner visceral layer that envelopes the heart, an outer parietal layer that comprises the outer fibrous sac, and a middle layer to prevent friction between the two previously-mentioned layers.

What causes pericarditis? A variety of conditions including:

  • Infections
  • Heart Surgery
  • Heart Attack
  • Trauma
  • Tumors
  • Cancer
  • Radiation
  • Autoimmune diseases

The symptoms of pericarditis may include chest pain that is sharp and is located in the center of the chest and expands outward, a mid fever, and increased heart rate.

Treatments for this condition depends on the individual and the cause of pericarditis. It may include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) to decrease pain and inflammation. It can also be steroids and antibiotics.

For patients with constrictive pericarditis, blood cannot enter the heart due to a thickening and scarring in the pericardium layers. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, heart failure symptoms, and atrial fibrillation. Constrictive pericarditis is treated with analgesics, diuretics, antiarrhythmics,or pericardiectomy (the surgical procedure that removes the stiff pericardium from the heart).

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Plaque and Heart Disease

September 15, 2010 By 1 Comment

The buildup of fatty plaque have been contributed to the causes of a heart attack or stroke. Over time, the plaque buildup narrows the artery so much that it would eventually become clogged. The lack of oxygen-rich blood to the heart would eventually lead to a heart attack. However, a plaque-filled blockage only cause 30% of heart attacks.

What Causes Plaque?

First, fat droplets are absorbed by the artery, which creates proteins called cytokines (cause of inflammation). The cytokines will make the artery wall sticky, allowing it to attract another cell called monocytes. Then, these monocytes will squeeze into the artery wall and soak up the fat droplets. Finally, these fat-soaked cells form a plaque with a thin covering.

If this inflammation is combined with other conditions, such as hypertension, it causes the thin plaque covering to crack and bleed, spilling the contents into the bloodstream. This will eventually cause clotting big enough the block the artery.

How to Prevent Plaque Buildup

Take aspirin, eat a healthy diet, quit smoking, and exercise daily. ACE inhibitors and aspirin appear to reduce inflammation in the body, which may prevent heart attacks in people with high protein levels. Smoking is also very dangerous for people who already have vulnerable plaque. The nicotine in cigarettes causes the release of more cytokines.

For more information on inflammation, heart disease and stroke, please visit the American Heart Association here.

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Myocardial Ischemia

September 13, 2010 By 3 Comments

This condition occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is decreased by a blockage of an artery. Myocardial ischemia is also known as cardiac ischemia, and it has the ability to damage your heart muscles, reducing its ability to efficiently pump blood. Severe blockages of certain coronary arteries may lead to a heart attack. Myocardial ischemia can also cause serious arrhythmias.

Treatment for myocardial ischemia is meant to help improve blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatments can come in the form of medications, procedures that open blocked arteries, and lastly, bypass surgery. Also, making certain lifestyle changes is necessary to treat and prevent myocardial ischemia.

For some, myocardial ischemia won’t cause any symptoms. For others, some symptoms may emerge such as chest pain, neck or jaw pain, shoulder or arm pain, clammy skin, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. If you have any of these symptoms accompanied with chest pain, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Conditions that may cause myocardial ischemia include:

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Blood clots
  • Coronary spasm
  • Severe illnesses

Risk factors that increase your chances of getting this condition include tobacco, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, lack of exercise, obesity, and familial history of cardiac issues.

Common medications used to treat myocardial ischemia include aspirin, nitroglycerin, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and ranolazine.

Procedures include angioplasty and stenting, or coronary artery bypass surgery. You must also quit smoking (if you are a smoker), manage other health conditions, start and continue a healthy diet regimen, exercising and decreasing stress levels. Also, please remember the importance of having regular check-ups with your physician. It is the key to prevention and treatment.

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Dilated Cardiomyopathy

September 6, 2010 By 2 Comments

Dilated cardiopathy, also known as DCM, is when the heart’s rate of pumping blood is decreased due to the heart’s left ventricle being enlarged. It causes a decrease in the amount of blood pumped out with each heart beat. Sometimes, it prevents the heart from taking in the normal amount of blood.

Symptoms of DCM include heart failure symptoms, swelling of the lower body, fatigue, weight gain, fainting, palpitations, dizziness, blood clots, and chest pain.

What causes DCM? It is mostly inherited; however, a variety of other factors includes coronary artery disease, alcoholism, thyroid disease, diabetes, viral infections, heart valve abnormalities, toxic drugs. Most cases of DCM are idiopathic, meaning that that the exact cause is not known.

Diagnosis is performed with blood tests, electrocardiograms, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, exercise stress test, cardiac catheterization, CT scan, and MRI. Doctors can also do a myocardial biopsy (a heart biopsy). You should be screened for DCM if there is a familial history of DCM.

Treatment for this disorder aims to decrease the heart size and decrease the substances in the bloodstream that enlarge the heart. Medications and lifestyle changes are the main methods of treatment for DCM. Drugs vary from beta-blockers, to ACE inhibitors, to diuretics. Lifestyle changes include more dieting and exercising.

Surgeries used to treat people with severe DCM are cardiac resynchronization by pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or lastly, heart transplant.

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Aortic Aneurysm

September 4, 2010 By 1 Comment

An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta, the body’s main artery. The aorta is responsible for carrying oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Because of the bulge, the aorta can stretch and become weak, causing serious bleeding or bursts that can lead to death. The aneurysm can happen in any part of the aortic, but most commonly in the abdominal area or the upper body.

What causes an aneurysm? Because the aorta walls are very elastic, some medical problems such as hypertension and atherosclerosis can weaken the walls. These conditions, along with natural wear and tear, can cause the wall to bulge outward. Most aortic aneurysms don’t have symptoms, but some people report of belly, chest, or back pain and discomfort. The worst scenario is that the aneurysm bursts, which then causes severe pain and internal bleeding.

Aneurysms can be diagnosed during routine doctor exams. Physicians recommend screening exams for aneurysms for men who are between 65 to 76 years old, have ever smoked, or have a relative who has had an aneurysm.

Treatments

Depending on its size, treatments for aneurysms can vary. If it is rather large, then the individual will need surgery where the doctor will repair the aorta with a stent or graft. Smaller aneurysms are treated with medications such as beta-blockers. The beta-blockers help lower blood pressure and stress on the walls.

Keep in mind that exercising and eating healthier will help reduce the risks of rupture and heart problems. Be sure to follow heart-healthy tips to prevent future complications.

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