The traditional way of angiography is accomplished by snaking a catheter through a patient’s blood vessels, where a dye is injected near the heart. Patients receiving this test will receive the same amount of radiation, which is found in other standard test such as nuclear stress test.

When patients undergo CT scans they receive radiation equivalent 600 chest X-rays.

The amount of radiation that that is given to a patient depends on where your health care provider sends you to have the CT scan. Some medical facilities take into consideration the size of the patient, when deciding on the dosage. The smaller the patient, the smaller the dosage. The technician may also pinpoint the radiation to the specific portion of the heart, which shortens the patient’s exposure.

Find more on the the use of CT scans click here for video  Dr. Gupta CNN. 

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Cardiac CT Scan Angiography

When you experience rapid heartbeats it is always wise to consult your health care provider. In some cases tachycardia isn’t considered a threat, while others are life threatening.

If you are diagnosed with recurring tachycardia, your health care provider will recommend the treatment suited to your specific needs. According to the severity of the tachycardia open heart surgery may be needed.   

During an attack of tachycardia the heart is pumping at such a high rate, that the blood is not getting to the rest of your body. When the attack happens it deprives organs and tissues of oxygen.

Some symptoms of a tachycardia attack are as follows.

• Lightheadedness
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Rapid heart beat
• Chest pain
• Blackouts
• Visual problems
• Fainting

You will find more information on the subject by clicking here. Tachycardia

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Tachycardia Heart Disease

CRP(C-reactive protein) inflammation encourages plaque to form in the blood vessels. This plaque will eventually cause the blood vessels to rupture causing a heart attack or stroke.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is often shortened to CPR. When your health care provider is explaining your disorder they will usually use the term CRP.  You will see CRP in written articles also.

If you are experiencing any health problems related to your heart make an appointment with your health care provider immediately. Be sure to tell them at the time of your appointment, you would like your cholesterol and CRP levels checked.

People who are otherwise healthy but have high CRP levels are more likely than those with low CRP levels to have heart disease and its complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, sudden cardiac death, and peripheral arterial disease (hardening of the arteries in the legs, which causes leg cramps and poor circulation in the legs and feet). In fact, people with high CRP have 2 or 3 times the risk of heart disease compared to people with low CRP levels.

You can find more informative on this site Heart Health.

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CRP Heart Inflammation

This problem is not as serious as ventricular fibrillation, this occurs when your heart stops beating. When ventricular fibrillation occurs the heart has to be shocked back to life, as you have seen on TV.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia, when there is a problem with the speed in which your heart beats; it is classified as a type of arrhythmia.

AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals in the heart’s two upper chambers, called the atria (AY-tree-uh), cause them to contract very fast and irregularly (this is called fibrillation). As a result, blood pools in the atria and isn’t pumped completely into the heart’s two lower chambers, called the ventricles (VEN-trih-kuls). When this happens, the heart’s upper and lower chambers don’t work together as they should.

You can have AF without knowing it, because symptoms aren’t always noticeable. When left untreated AF can lead to more serious problems, such as a heart attack.

If you experience any irregular heartbeats or chest pains call your health care provider immediately.

You can learn more about this subject by clicking here Atrial fibrillation

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Atrial Fibrillation

…significantly benefit from the treatment with the anti-hypertensive agent Valsartan, found to pharmacologically prevent beta-amyloid production in the brain even when delivered to Alzheimer’s disease mice at doses 3-4 fold lower than the minimal equivalent dose prescribed for the treatment of hypertension in humans. Other anti-hypertension drugs with beneficial results included Propranolol HCI, Carvedilol, Losartan, Nicardipine HCI, Amiloride HCI and Hydralazine HCI.

At this stage in the game this research is highly experimental but could help in the recent push into Alzheimer’s awareness and research. If you have an interest in Alzheimer’s disease please go see Mary Emma at our own Alzheimers Notes. To read more about this research..

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Anti hypertensives help in Alzheimer’s disease

Anyway- there was a thirty something year old women that had issues with herself due to scares from many heart operations. She was born with a very rare type of congenital heart defect- where her heart did not form properly and needed to be rebuilt- and she had some large scars on her chest and back and belly from chest tubes and incisions.

She was so beautiful and a great person. She was very pretty and when I looked at her all I saw was a gorgeous young women- and all she saw was someone who was not perfect.

Do you have scars that you wish where not there? Whether it be form open heart or something else? Do you feel non perfect because of your heart disease?

I have many scars and each tell a story- kind of like a map of my life! My hubby loves them and I do not see them when I stare at myself in the mirror! I hope you know you are perfect and we are all beautiful on the inside.

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Scars from heart disease- Love them or hate them?

Researchers found that 16 percent of these patients reported refusing one or more medical or surgical interventions recommended by their physician. The most frequently refused interventions were cardiac catheterization and surgery, with refusal rates of over 10 percent. Other interventions refused included chemotherapy, radiation, intubation, dialysis, and transplantation. Hospitalization was rarely refused.

I can not count the amount of times I sent a very elderly, frail, compromised, extremely sick and helpless patient off to open heart surgery, let alone stress tests and catheterizations. And what I really wanted to do was say, “You are the boss of yourself. You make the final decisions and can say no to anything you want to. If you were my Grandfather, I would say don’t do it”. But I don’t, at least not for the most part.

What do you think about the quality versus quantity? And what do you think about getting second opinions and saying no to physicians? Would you feel comfortable questioning a clinician? I am always amazed at how patients hold them up high and feel like they have no say in the situation. When it should be them who are being held way up high. Be your own advocate. Don’t you think?

via Science Daily

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Quality versus Quantity? What do you think?

However, it was also reported that no autopsy had been performed. No official determination has been released by the medical examiner’s office or filed with the Memphis health department, which issues death certificates.

via Perez Hilton and AP

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Music Man Isaac Hayes died of a stroke

Sadly, at 36 years old Gyorgy Kolonics died Tuesday after collapsing in his canoe while training for the Beijing Games.

The Hungarian Olympic Committee said that he lost consciousness and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.  The committee cited heart failure as the probable cause of death. So sad, so young and an exceptional athlete. It reminds us that we are all vulnerable at times and heart disease is so prevalent.

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Gold medalist Gyorgy Kolonics dies of heart failure at 36

“There is good evidence that if a person has depression after a heart attack, they are more likely to die from cardiac causes in the following months and years,” said lead author Jeff Huffman, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Aside from obvious life altering changes in diet and exercise-  mental health needs to be addressed as well. These findings would also suggest that physicians and clinicians also need to keep a close eye on persons with heart disease or risk factors.

via Science Daily

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Depression increases risk of complications post heart attack