Q: I am a 43 y/o female, 68 in, 145 lbs. Heathy, do not smoke. Chol normal except LDL 114. HDL 52. Recently had an ECG as part of a physical and the printout read Probable Anteroseptal MI, age indeterminate. The internal medicine MD said this is a normal variation for tall, thin females. He recommends no further follow up. …
My doctor tells me I may have a probable MI but not to worry about it
Question: I am a 43 y/o female, 68 in, 145 lbs. Heathy, do not smoke. Chol normal except LDL 114. HDL 52. Recently had an ECG as part of a physical and the printout read Probable Anteroseptal MI, age indeterminate. The internal medicine MD said this is a normal variation for tall, thin females. He recommends no further follow …
PCI & CABG for Diabetics with 3VD
A subset of patients with diabetes and 3VD was examined in a 2nd paper in 2010.The purpose of this study from Washington State was to examine the application of revascularization strategy in this high-risk patient population of patients with diabestes and multi-vessel coronary artery disease. Specifically, it was sought to determine: the revascularization strategies employed in diabetic patients with MVD …
CTCA for screening of acute chest pain syndrome (ACPS)
The accuracy of 64-slice computed tomographic coronary angiography (CTCA) and its ability to direct revascularization in patients with acute chest pain syndrome (ACPS) was investigated in an article published in The American Journal of Cardiology on 08/09/2010.
Treatment of 3VD with/without Diabetes in Washington State
A paper from Washington State examines the treatment of patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease. A second paper, like the BARI-2D study and a much earlier published paper, focuses on patients with diabetes and 3VD. The short as well as long term benefits of CABG for these type of patients have been described in the SYNTAX trial as well as …
What Should You Do If You Suspect You Are Having A Heart Attack?
If you think you may be having a heart attack: If you are with someone, tell that person you may be having a heart attack and want to get to the hospital immediately. Have the person call 911 or the emergency services number. If you are alone, call 911 or the emergency services number immediately. Do not drive yourself to …
How does the heart-lung bypass machine cause blood clots?
A: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. In a small percentage of patients this causes complications that may include a stroke. This depends to a large extent on the patient’s condition, but also on the …
Why is heart disease in women different?
When still in practice, a friend of mine, diabetic, hypertensive and a smoker developed chest pains walking in the cold and going upstairs. When seen in the ER, the cardiologist disagreed with my diagnosis of angina and CAD. After pleading with him, he agreed (reluctantly) to go ahead and schedule a cardiac catherization. A while later he called me that, …
Will a testosterone shot have any adverse effects on an artery stent?
Testosterone supplementation has been shown to increase muscle mass and strength in healthy older men. However, a new study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine 1), showed that in older men (>74 yo), testosterone treatment was associated with an significantly higher rate of cardiovascular adverse events.
Why do women have mitral valve prolapse (MVP) more often than men?
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) affects approximately 150 million people worldwide. Studies have shown that MVP is more common in women than in men. According to The Framingham Heart Study, 7.6% of women and 2.5% of men have MVP. Some forms of MVP seem to be passed down through families (inherited). Mitral valve prolapse often affects thin women who may have …