Submitted by Dr T on November 18, 2013 – 11:12am in Cardiac Risks Question: Dear DoctorMy husband is 64 years old and was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) about 2-3 years ago. He lost one kidney due to a rugby injury many years ago. He has had a lot of downward swings in his GFR this year for various reasons …
leaky heart valve
Submitted by Dr T on November 12, 2013 – 1:06pm Question: Hi, I was diagnosed with having a leaky heart valve some years ago and it was recommended that I have a detailed heart scan every two years. However, they stopped sending for me and i had to visit my G.P just to query why. He advised me to contact …
Enlarged Aorta
Submitted by Dr T on November 12, 2013 – 12:42pm Question: What are the specific foods to stay away from and what are specific foods that would help ?I am 67 year old male and going thru testing on my condition now. My health is good to excellent and I exercise now.Should I rise the heart rate to standard norms …
What heart valve operation is best?
Submitted by Dr T on November 7, 2013 – 5:04pm in Cardiac Risks Question: Is there one mechanical aortic valve (St Jude, or ATC etc) better than another? The question is not what mechanical heart valve is best. That’s your surgeon’s decision, and it depends on his personal experience. The real question is whether a mechanical valve is preferable over …
Canakinumab for prevention future heart attacks
Submitted by Dr T on November 1, 2013 – 4:52pm Question: Dear Doctor, As a heart attack p-t (and having arrhythmia)I’d like to know your opinion about significance of experimental(approved for different problems) canakinumab injections to fight inflammation in the body; whether the issue of inflammation for cardiovascular health itself is overstated, and if not, what inflam. levels are considered …
The Flu
</div></p> <p style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 0);text-decoration: none;font-size: 12px;text-transform: none;background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);”><strong style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 0);text-decoration: none;font-size: 12px;text-transform: none;background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);”>Get your Flu shot at the <a href=”http://pcfcme.com/” style=”color: rgb(18, 57, 102);text-decoration: underline;font-size: 12px;text-transform: none;background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);” target=”_blank”>Portland Community Free Clinic</a>!</strong></p> <p style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 0);text-decoration: none;font-size: 12px;text-transform: none;background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);”>Flu season is …
Surgery for mitral valve leakage
Submitted by Dr T on October 28, 2013 – 11:31am in Cardiac Risks Question: Hi, my question is regarding mitral valve surgery. I see that most recommendations say only when your mitral valve has severe regurgitation, but that appears to be controversial. If your have moderate regurgitation with a mildly dilated left ventricle and mild tricuspid regurgitation would that still …
High Cholesterol, high LDL, high HDL
In some situations a high cholesterol may be healthy, if HDL levels, triglycerides, and other markers of cardiovascular health are good. You can calculate your risk for developing heart disease here. Patinets with high HDL levels (60 mg/dL or more) and low levels of triglycerides (less than 100 mg/dL) may actually be at a lower risk for heart disease than people with normal cholesterol levels …
The risk of another heart attack
Submitted by Dr T on October 24, 2013 – 12:23pm Question: I recently read that 60% of heart attack victims will have a 2nd heart attack. Is there a known reason for such a high rate? Also, is there a timeline in which the 2nd attack is likely to occur? Thank you Hi Ed, Once you’ve had a heart attack, …
Palpitations and shortness of breath
Submitted by Dr T on October 22, 2013 – 11:03am Question: Im a 40 y/o, otherwise healthy adult male. After a long period of palpitations and a high resting heart rate, I saw a cardiologist who performed a ekg and prescribed a 30 day holter monitor. All findings were normal. I still experience some shortness of breath and really fast …