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Congenital Heart Disease

September 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Also known as congenital heart defect, this condition is an abnormality in the heart’s structure that occurs at birth. Congenital heart disease used to be fatal, however, it’s come a long way since with modern technology and medication. Although it was classified as a childhood condition, medical advances have helped babies survive this disease well into adulthood. However, adults who have had a history of this condition should still check up closely with their physicians because they are at greater risk of other heart problems.

Symptoms of congenital heart disease my recur even in adulthood. Some of these symptoms include:

  • Abnormal heart beat
  • Bluish tint of skin
  • Shortness of breath
  • Tiredness
  • Dizziness
  • Swelling of body organs

What causes a heart defect at birth? A baby has a heartbeat just 3 weeks after conception. By day 28, heart defects could potentially develop due to medical conditions or genetics of the mother and father. The exact causes are unknown. One known thing is that heart defects are seldom cured, only repaired and improved. This is why congenital heart diseases resurface sometimes in adulthood, although there are other contributing factors as well.

There are certain risk factors that could result from the mother’s health history. If the mother had rubella while pregnant, it could affect the baby’s heart development. If the mother has diabetes, it could also interfere with the heart of the baby. Lastly, heredity plays a huge role in determining heart defects in the baby. A missing piece of genetic material on chromosome 22 can cause heart defects.

Treatment options include medications and catheterization.  Some defects can be treated with catheter techniques, which is non-invasive and non-surgical. Lastly, there is open heart surgery and heart transplants, two of the most major medical procedures when all other treatments have failed.

The most important thing to remember with congenital defects is that it is never cured, just repaired. This makes it very crucial for individuals to have routine check-ups with their physicians to make sure that their heart is in good health. It’s better to be informed, than to ignore, your conditions. Thousands of adults with congenital heart disease live full and healthy lives with the help of self-awareness and medical attention.

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Pregnancy and Heart Disease

August 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Even though pregnant women already have various concerns regarding their health as well as their baby’s health, they should also be aware of the cardiovascular changes that will occur to the heart and blood vessels during their term. These changes will add stress on a woman’s body and increase the heart’s workload. Some of these changes include:

  • An increase in blood volume during the first trimester. The volume of blood can increase by 40-50 percent and can remain high throughout pregnancy.
  • An increase in cardiac output, which is the amount of blood pumped by the heart each minute. This output can increase by 30-40 percent due to increased blood volume.
  • An increase in heart rate by 10-15 beats per minutes.
  • A decrease in blood pressure by 10 mmHg. It is normal for blood pressure to decrease during pregnancy due to hormones.

These changes are completely normal during a pregnancy and even help the baby will get the right nutrients. However, these changes come with symptoms and side effects such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and light-headedness; all of which are normal to have.

Arrhythmias During Pregnancy

Abnormal heartbeats, arrhythmias, during pregnancy are common. They  may develop for women with a normal heart or they can be result of a previous unknown heart condition. Most of the time, there are no serious symptoms of arrhythmias and no treatment is necessary.

Aorta Disease and Pregnancy

Since there are increased pressures on the aorta during pregnancy, there is increased risk for aorta dissection or rupture, which is possibly life-threatening.There are also other aorta conditions such as aortic aneurysm, dilated aorta and connective tissue disorders.

Other Cardiovascular Disorders That May Develop During Pregnancy

  • Peripartum cardiomyopathy- This is the rare development of heart failure within the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months after having the baby.  The cause for this disorder is still unknown. After pregnancy, the heart may not go back to its normal size but instead have poor left ventricular function and symptoms. Women with peripartum cardiomyopathy have an increased risk for complications during future pregnancies.
  • Hypertension- Few pregnant women develop high blood pressure during their term. This is also called Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH). The symptoms are high blood pressure, sweling, and protein in the urine. PIH can be harmful to the mother and the baby.
  • Heart Murmurs – The abnormal swishing sound can sometimes develop as a result of the increase in blood volume that occurs during pregnancy. These murmurs are typically harmless although there can be some rare cases of heart valve problems.

While it is very important to have regular check-ups with your OB-GYN during pregnancy, it is also recommended to have regular visits with your cardiologist. Your cardiologist can evaluate your heart thoroughly to detect any potential complications and prescribe a treatment. This is the best way to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy for you and your child.

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MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

August 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Magnetic resonance imaging, also known as MRI, is a test that takes pictures of internal organs using magnetic fields and pulses of radio wave energy. An MRI gives a lot of different information including things that can be seen with an X-ray, ultrasound, or a CT (computed tomography). It also shows problems that cannot be detected with other imaging methods.

For an MRI, the specific area of the body being examined is placed inside a special machine that contains a strong magnet. The pictures then are scanned and saved to a computer for future studying. You will need to take off your clothing and any metal jewelry. During the test, you will lie on your back on the MRI scanner table. The table will slide into the space that contains the magnet. Inside the scanner, you will hear a fan and feel air moving around. You will also hear scanning noises.

This test is done mainly to find tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel diseases and infection. It is generally done for the head, the chest, the abdomen, the spine, various bones, joints, and blood vessels. An MRI usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, but can take up to 2 hours if necessary.

Because Cardiac MRIs provide your cardiologist with a reasonably clear view “inside” at living, functioning tissue,
it has become especially helpful as a tool to allow a cardiologist to diagnose, or evaluate such “soft tissue” issues as:

  • Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease
  • Damage caused by a heart attack
  • Heart failure
  • Heart valve problems
  • Congenital heart defects
  • Pericarditis (a condition in which the membrane, or sac, around your heart is inflamed)
  • Cardiac tumors

Cardiac MRI can help explain results from other procedures, such as x rays and CT scans. Cardiac MRI can often eliminate the use invasive procedures or tests that use radiation (such as x rays) or iodine based dyes.

Sometimes during cardiac MRI, a contrast agent is injected into a vein to highlight portions of the heart or blood vessels.

Filed Under: Heart Health, Procedures, Treatment

Coronary Bypass Surgery

August 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Bypass surgery is a procedure that allows blood restoration to the heart. This procedure uses a healthy blood vessel taken from either the leg, arm, chest or abdomen and connects it to other arteries. This is how the blood is bypassed around the diseased area. After coronary bypass surgery, normal blood flow resumes.

Bypass surgery is used to help reduce the risk of having heart diseases, such as heart attack. Symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath are significantly reduced after having the surgery.

Keep in mind though, that this procedure does not cure underlying heart diseases that caused the blockages in the first place. Even with having done with surgery, it is still important that the individual makes permanent life style changes to lower his/her cholesterol and reducing the chances of developing a blood clot.

The entire procedure takes between3 to 6 hours in the operating room and requires general anesthesia. The number of bypasses depends on the location and severity of each individual. A large incision is made in the chest while blood flow is diverted through a heart-lung machine. The surgeon then takes a healthy blood vessel and attaches the ends to the blocked artery so that the blood is diverted.

After the procedure, it will take a couple of days to recover in the intensive care unit. You will be discharged from the hospital in a week if there are no complications. It will take a while to resume normal activity; you must take extreme caution as to not get an infection from the chest wound.

Generally, individuals who receive the surgery will remain symptom-free for about 10 to 15 years. Below is a brief image of coronary bypass surgery.

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EKG: Electrocardiogram

August 25, 2010 By 1 Comment

An electrocardiogram, or EKG for short, is a simple and painless test that records the heart’s activity. With each heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom, causing the heart to contract and pump blood. This process repeats with every heartbeat.

An EKG shows:

  • The rate of the heart beats
  • The rhythm of the heart beats
  • Irregularity in the heart beats
  • Strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through the heart

The test is used to detect heart conditions, such as heart attacks or arrhythmia. EKGs can also show results of other disorders that affect heart functions. Doctors use EKGs to find the cause of unexplained chest pain and other heart related symptoms.

During an EKG, you will lie on a bed and a special paste will be placed between the electrodes and your skin to improve conduction of the electrical impulses. Several electrodes are attached to the skin on arms and legs and the chest. These electrodes are then hooked on to a machine that traces your heart’s electrical activity from different locations on your chest. You will have to lie very still and breath normally during the test. You should avoid talking at all during the test.

Below is an image of a typical EKG procedure and reading:

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Pacemakers

August 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

An artificial pacemaker is a small device that is placed in the chest or abdominal area to help control abnormal heart rhythms. It works by sending electrical pulses to the the heart, prompting it to beat at a normal rate. Pacemakers are meant to treat arrhythmias, which are heart conditions relating to rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. In the case of arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm.

Symptoms of arrhythmia include fatigue, shortness of breath, or fainting. Severe arrhythmia can damage vital organs and may even cause loss of consciousness. A pacemaker can relieve these symptoms and help individuals resume a more active lifestyle.

How It Works

A pacemaker uses low energy to send electrical pulses to the heart. A chamber of the heart contracts when an electrical impulse or signal moves across it. The artificial pacemaker’s pulse generator sends this electrical impulse straight to the heart. They can speed up a slow heart, help control a fast heartbeat, coordinate the electrical signaling between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, and prevent dangerous arrhythmias from happening. New pacemakers can monitor your blood temperature, breathing rate, and other factors to adjust your heart rate to changes in your daily activity.

There are temporary and permanent pacemakers. Temporary devices are used to treat temporary heartbeat problems and also for heart emergencies. Permanent devices are used to control long-term rhythm problems.

Living With A Pacemaker

With any electronic device, a pacemaker requires routine care and follow-ups. This means making sure to taking the right medications, having routine doctor’s visits, and remember to maintain the battery. Contact your doctor immediately if you have difficulty breathing, dizzy spells, or rapid and irregular heartbeat from having a pacemaker.

For more information on artificial pacemakers, visit the American Heart Association site here.

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Heart Transplants

August 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

You’ve probably seen this done on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or House. A heart transplant is one of the most critical types of surgeries in cardiothoracic medicine. It is the replacement of a person’s malfunctioning heart with a healthy donor’s heart. The donor is an individual who has agreed to donate their viable organs after they have passed away.

Heart transplants have been around for nearly 40 years and nowadays, 2300 heart transplants are performed annually in the United States.While it is a major operation with certain risks, medical technology has improved dramatically over the years, proving that an individual’s chance of surviving is higher with the transplant rather than without one.

Heart Transplants Require Heart Donations

The process of a heart transplant requires a lot of research and self-awareness, including informing yourself of the preparations, the surgery itself, and follow-up care. First off, you must be placed on a transplant list. In order to be placed, you must be screened carefully by heart physicians, social workers, bioethicists and psychologists to review your medical history. These experts want to see if you are able to survive the procedure and also able to comply with the continuous care after the surgery. Once you are approved, you must wait for a donor heart that matches yours to become available. This is the where the waiting game starts. The amount of time it will take to find a match is unknown, and your doctor and health care team will work alongside you and your family to maintain your health until that day comes.

What Happens During A Transplant?

The surgeon will acquire the donor’s heart and prepare for the operation. During the transplant, the patient is placed on a heart-lung machine that gives the body oxygen and nutrients from the blood while the heart is being operated. The surgeons remove the patient’s heart and sew the new heart into place. They connect the respective blood vessels, allowing blood to flow through the heart and lungs. The heart will slowly warm up and begin to beat. Lastly, the surgeon will check last-minute blood vessels to make sure everything is connected. The entire operation takes about 4 to 10 hours. Most patients will show healing several days after the surgery. If there are no signs of the body rejecting the organ, the patient is allowed to go home within 1 to 2 weeks.

Most people who get heart transplants can return to work and regular activity within 3 to 6 months. The overall survival rate is 90 percent post-transplant. However, the transplants aren’t always successful and sometimes the new heart may fail because the body rejects it. If this is the case, your doctor could recommend different types of medications or if all fails, another heart transplant.

For more information on heart transplants, please visit the American Heart Association website here.

Filed Under: Heart Health, Procedures

Triglycerides

August 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The word is familiar, but do you really know what triglycerides are? They are a kind of fat. In fact, they are the major form that our bodies can store fat in. Normally, triglycerides aren’t bad. However, with the excess amount of food that we take in and the lack of physical activity that we tend to put off, our bodies begin to store huge amounts of fat in the form of triglycerides.

The problem with having a lot of triglycerides is that they tend to spill over to other tissues, like the liver and the muscle. You are at higher risk of diabetes if you have high triglycerides because they compromise the body’s ability to deal with sugar.

What Should My Triglyceride Level Be?

Normal levels are at 150 or lower. Borderline high is between 150-199; high is 200-250 and very high is 500 or over. The immediate plan of action when you know your levels are high is to lose weight through diet and exercise.

A diet that is low in saturated fats, cholesterol, and simple carbohydrates is best. This means eliminating “white” foods such as white rice, white bread, potatoes, and pasta. Instead try eating brown rice, whole grain, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat pasta.

Your doctor can also prescribe medication to help bring them down. However, when it comes to preventing diabetes and metabolic syndrome (which are two of the leading causes of high triglycerides), the best goal for you is to eat only as much calories as you are going to burn.

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Metabolic Syndrome

August 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Approximately 47 million Americans have metabolic syndrome; it is as widespread as pimples or the cold. However, not many people know much about it since there have been several debates on whether or not it should be viewed as a “real” condition.

Well, wonder no more about this so-called Syndrom X. Metabolic syndrome is not a disease per se. It’s rather a group of risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol levels and abdominal fat. When these risk factors are combine, they double the risk for blood vessel disease and heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

Abdominal Obesity Affects Metabolic Syndrome

According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, there are 5 risk factors involved:

  • Large Waist: Men with 40 inches or larger; women with 35 inches or larger
  • Triglycerides in Cholesterol: higher than 150 mg/dL
  • Low HDL Cholesterol: Men with less then 40 mg/dL; women with less than 50 mg/dL
  • Blood Sugar Level: higher than 100 mg/dL
  • High Blood Pressure: 130/85 mm Hg or higher

If you have at least three out of the five risk factors, you have metabolic syndrome. Since it is not a direct disease, experts are unsure of its exact cause. Some risk factors include insulin resistance, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle and hormonal imbalance. Insulin resistance, the insulin doesn’t work so your body keeps making more and more of it to cope with levels of glucose. Eventually, this leads to diabetes. Obesity, especially abdominal obesity, is also a great factor to metabolic syndrome. Unhealthy lifestyle means that you are eating very high in saturated fats and not getting the right amount of exercise. Hormonal imbalance also plays a role due to polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that relates to metabolic syndrome.

If you feel like your are at risk or have recently been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, it is time to get serious about finding ways to improve your health. Please talk to your doctor about treatments and lifestyle changes that can prevent you from getting serious diseases.

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High Cholesterol

August 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in certain foods such as seafood, dairy products, eggs and meat. Our bodies need some cholesterol in order to function; however, too much cholesterol can be bad. It can increase the risk of heart disease. While there are some controllable factors that contribute to cholesterol, some cannot be helped.

Some uncontrollable risk factors are:

  • Gender: for women, “bad” cholesterol increases after menopause

    Foods That Can Increase Cholesterol

  • Age: men ages 45 or older, and women ages 55 or older are at higher risk of high cholesterol
  • Family history: if your family member(s) have a history of heart disease, you might have a high risk for cholesterol

Some controllable risk factors are:

  • Diet: the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat can raise your cholesterol
  • Weight: being overweight can increase your LDL and lower your HDL
  • Exercise: increased physical activity can help lower your LDL and raise your HDL.

Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease

The biggest risk of high cholesterol is coronary heart disease. If your cholesterol is too high, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, the buildup causes hardening of the arteries, which is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes less blood to flow to the heart, causing angina (chest pain) or a heart attack.

High cholesterol can also cause strokes if plaque buildup blocks the blood that flows to the brain. It has also been linked to peripheral vascular disease, which is a disease of blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. In this condition, the fatty buildups affect the artery walls and cuts off blood circulation to the legs and feet.

Treatment

The best way to lower your bad cholesterol is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This includes a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and plenty of aerobic workouts. Be sure to read food labels when shopping for groceries so that you know what you are eating. Whole wheat, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, fat-free dairy, low-fat cheese, and etcetera are all a part of a healthy diet. Visit your doctor to know where you are at with your cholesterol level. If necessary, your doctor could prescribe you medication to help lower bad cholesterol as well.

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