Submitted by Dr T on January 3, 2013 – 7:36pm Question: When does a CHF patient move from stage III to pallative/hospice care? My 80 year old father has biventricular failure, afib controlled by ICD (pacemaker/defib) but is having recurrent ER episodes from pitted edema, plural effusion, high risk of atelecatsis, ejection fraction of 35%, and is getting dizzy to …
Balding and heart disease
Submitted by Dr T on January 2, 2013 – 6:54pm in Cardiac Risks Question: Hello,My son is 3o years old. His hair started receding at 18 years old, and now he is bald all over on top of his head.My concern is that the research says that this increases, by a lot, his chance for heart disease. He also has …
Coronary Artery Disease at a young age
Since the Korean war in 1953, examination of soldiers killed in action has shown evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), even at a young age (av: 22 yo). Gradually, the incidence CAD in soldiers has decreased from 77% to 8.5%: War Soldiers with Coronary Artery Disease Korea[1] Viet Nam[2] Middle East[3] This decrease has to a large extent been caused …
Left ventricular hypertrophy on my EKG
Submitted by Dr T on January 2, 2013 – 11:57am in Cardiac Risks Question: I get intermittent pains on my chest (sometimes centre, but most times left side above breast, just toward my left armpit), arm, neck, angle of jaw, left leg, left shoulder blade, shoulder, elbow, palm, last and ring finger. These pains come separately, sometimes, chest and neck …
Painful chest wall after heart surgery
Submitted by Dr T on December 30, 2012 – 9:19am in Chest Pain Question: Had triple bypass in 02/11. Having left chest pain. Can get pretty uncomfortable! Been to Doc’s, stress test, eckgs. He thought it was the wires, had some removed, still having pain. Comes and goes. I hear alot about nerve damage etc. Any suggestions Would be wonderful …
Hypertension
Submitted by Dr T on December 27, 2012 – 6:22pm in Cardiac Risks Question: Im 40 and in otherwise good health. My BP has typically been borderline. I will have some good readings and then some that are borderline high. I check at home several times a week ( father had hypertension). I have noticed the last couple weeks, I …
Resistant Hypertension
Submitted by Dr T on December 22, 2012 – 1:07pm Question: Greetings Doctor,I am a 23 year old male 200 lbs, 5,11 at age 21 I went to my doctors office and discovered that my systolic pressure was too high 160/80. Over the years I have begun exercising everyday, eating very little sodium etc. This did nothing and as of …
Trans catheter Aortic Valve Implantation after previous coronary artery bypass surgery
Submitted by Dr T on December 20, 2012 – 10:20am in Cardiac Risks Question: I have been diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis moderate to severe and tricuspid valve severe. I had some complications with CABG 4 yrs ago. At my age (77) would I possibly be a candidate for TAVI or MIS valve repair? Tks. Trans-catheter Aortic-Valve Implantation (TAVI) is …
PVCs and Exercise
Submitted by Dr T on December 16, 2012 – 10:23am Question: I have PVCs when I am resting and exercising. Over the last three years since the PVCs started I have become more sedentary, overweight and I am now sleeping 10-12 hours a night to reduce the PVCs when at work. I sleep like the dead, when I used to …
Chest pains, otherwise healthy
Submitted by Dr T on December 11, 2012 – 3:43pm in Chest Pain Question: I’m a 37 y/o healthy male, no high blood pressure or cholesterol. In the past I have experienced chest pain (usually sharp,short lasting). In the past couple of years I’ve had ekg,stress test,heart ultra sound and all turned out to be normal other than some palpitations. …