What is a coronary heart attack?
Are you at the risk of a coronary heart attack?
Here are some insights to help you…
A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself (the myocardium) is severely reduced or even stopped entirely.
The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction.
The reduction or stoppage of blood supply happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked.
This may be caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), also known as atherosclerosis.
The plaque may eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a “situation” where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery.
This may lead to a heart attack.
A heart attack is also sometimes known as a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.
It is a medical fact that heart disease is among the most dangerous health hazards facing people 50 yrs and older in America.
Clinical studies, laboratory investigations and a number of surveys show that certain personal characteristics and lifestyles can lead to increased dangers of a heart attack (coronary heart disease).
These danger signs are called “risk factors”. The well established risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.
Other risk factors that may increase or lead to the risk of having a heart attack are obesity, a sedentary life-style, an aggressive response to stress, and certain drugs.
In the past two decades, millions of Americans have learned about these risk factors and have tried to decrease them by seeking medical attention and by changing their lifestyles.
Many adults have stopped smoking. The medical control of high blood pressure has greatly improved.
The average cholesterol level of the population has decreased continually over the last two decades, probably due to changes in dietary habits and increased exercise.
This attempt to modify risk factors almost certainly has contributed to the declining death rate from heart disease in the United States.
Overall, heart-related problems have declined about 25 percent in the last decade.
Some of this decrease undoubtedly is due to better medical care of heart attack victims, but it is likely that a sizable percentage is related to modification of risk factors.
The entire population has become more aware of the seriousness of heart disease and coronary heart problems.
CPR training is offered in schools, places of business, and church and community functions, and everyone seems to recognize that prevention of coronary heart disease is a partnership between the public and the medical community.
There are a number of factors implicated in coronary heart disease. Some of these may raise coronary risk by accentuating the major risk factors already discussed.
Others may act in ways not understood. Still others may be linked mistakenly to coronary risk.
Obesity predisposes individuals to coronary heart disease. Some of the reasons for this are known, but others are not.
The major causes of obesity in Americans are excessive intake of calories and inadequate exercise.
When caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat, which further raises the blood cholesterol. Thus, obesity contributes to higher coronary risk in a variety of ways.
Most of the major risk factors are silent. They must be sought actively, and much of the responsibility for their detection lies with each of us as individuals.
Regular checkups are particularly necessary if there is a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.
May these health insights into heart disease help you to live a healthier and happier life.
Category: Heart Diseases
My Old And Frail Grandpa Had Open Heart Surgery And Was Home In Two Days!
It does sound like a StarTrek movie but it is definitely not!! Many elderly patients can rapidly return to their valuable lives and families after a minimal invasivecardiac operation. There is a widespread belief among well-meaning sons or daughters and sometimes even their own doctors that patients in advanced age with a severe heart ailment are too old and frail to withstand open heart surgery.The reverse is actually true: they are too old and frail to withstand their heart disease without the help of a surgeon! Our statistics are showing this important truth. The most common problems that can be corrected to save these patients’ lives are heart valve malfunctions, aneurysms and coronary artery disease. Elderly patients can live longer AND better if they are offered a minimally invasive cardiac surgical solution for their heart problem. If you or someone you care for are caught in this predicament, you can learn what to ask for and what to look for.
1.How old is too old? Age is truly a relative concept! I have seen innumerable patients in their 80’s and 90’s who had beautifully lucid minds and productive life styles and were nevertheless denied lifesaving surgery just because of their age. These patients are often physically younger than their real age and do absolutely fantastic with their heart surger procedures. In my experience, the fact that they are looking forward to a better life is by itself a strong predictor of surgical success.
2.Can your level of energy be restored by an operation? Heart disease and symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath and weakness tend to deteriorate elderly patients by gradually taking away their life style. This is the time to have a “heart to heart” with a cardiac surgeon who can offer an effective surgical therapy to restore energy levels and a better life style.
3.Can minimally invasive heart surgery be performed in your case? Most elderly heart patients can now be helped with minimally invasive techniques and will be walking the hospital halls in less than 24 hours after their operation. Most patients can return to their lives and families in two to three days. You owe it to yourself: find out if the surgeon specializes in minimally invasive techniques and don’t be shy about asking how many of his patients can enjoy a minimally invasive approach.If necessary ask for a second opinion. An expert minimally invasive surgeon uses these techniques in the majoritymost of his patients.
I’ll conclude with a line from my 84 year old father-in-law, a recently retired internist: “Many elderly patients are young minds trapped in an old body”. Well…it’s your body, it’s your heart, it’s your life!! Help yourself to what modern medicine can offer.
Heart Disease And Cholesterol
For years, the medical community has held that a high level of cholesterol causes heart disease. While few will dispute this belief, there are other factors that may lead to severe and even fatal heart conditions.
Conducted by medical experts, the Framingham Heart Study determined that high blood cholesterol is a contributing factor of CHD, or coronary heart disease. These study results showed that people with higher levels of cholesterol were more likely to develop coronary heart disease. On the other hand, it is unusual for people with low cholesterol to suffer from CHD.
This connection between high blood cholesterol and heart disease was also confirmed by another group of experts, whose studies showed that lowering the total LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) level could actually reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. A recent series of cholesterol trials using statin drugs suggested that lowering both total and LDL cholesterol levels could greatly reduce the chance of experiencing heart attack, angioplasty (a surgical bypass) or death due to a coronary heart disease-related cause.
In addition to high cholesterol levels, there are other risk factors that can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Even though some risk factors can be lowered with diet, medication or lifestyle changes, others cannot be altered. The more combined risk factors you have, the higher your chance will be of experiencing heart disease.
The greatest unchangeable risk factors are as follows:
* Your age. The greatest risks are faced by women over 55 and men over 45
* Family medical history. If you have parents or a sibling who died from heart disease at the ages stated above, you face a higher risk
Fortunately, some risk factors can be changed:
* Cholesterol. Limit your high total cholesterol and your high LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Lower your levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol
* Reduce your blood pressure
* Stop smoking
* Diabetes (diabetics face a higher risk of developing heart disease)
* Little or no physical activity
* Lose excess weight
If you have one or more of these high-risk factors, see your physician to find out how you can take action and reduce your chances of suffering a heart attack.
Some experts believe that high blood cholesterol and heart disease are indeed connected. On the other hand, there are those who hold that too much animal fat resulting in high cholesterol is the contributing factor to heart disease. These experts argue that there may or may not be “good” and “bad” cholesterols. They also believe that factors such as physical activity, mental stress and a change in body weight may influence the levels of the blood cholesterol, and that high blood cholesterol is a simply reflection of an unhealthy lifestyle, but not dangerous.
Experts may disagree on the factors of cholesterol and heart disease. The one thing everyone agrees on, however, is that we all need to reduce the risks and increase our quality of life.
Heart Disease Diet
Heart disease signs and symptoms vary depending on which form of heart disease is present, but experts agree that proper nutrition and regular exercise are an important part of treating and preventing cardiovascular disease. Whole grains are an important part of a heart healthy diet. Remember the more processed a grain is the less nutritious it is. Stick with foods as close as possible to their original source. Processed flours and grains do not add anything to the diet but increase your blood glucose levels. When it comes to the saturated and trans fats in our diet it is important to limit their intake as much as possible. Choose fats that have two grams or less saturated fat per tablespoon. This is a good rule of thumb for limiting the fats in your diet.
Bad diet and heart disease has very obvious causality. The food such as salty or sugary snacks, fast food and red meat which consists of a majority of high-fat processed foods all consider as a bad diet. Unfortunately, junk food has become less expensive than good food like fruits and vegetables. Excess weight leads to greater chances of developing other conditions that lead to heart disease. One indicator of a healthy weight is a BMI of less that 25. A ten percent reduction in weight can lower your blood pressure. Good heart disease prevention may also mean controlling the blood pressure and having LDL cholesterol at low levels. The best way to attain these goals is by making appropriate changes to diet and even by taking medications if so recommended by the doctor. Clearly, having low blood sugar levels will consider as heart disease prevention.
There are many ways in limiting our consumption of fats and cholesterol. We can cut down on eggs intake to three or less a week. Use low-fat or skim milk instead. Avoid whipped toppings and cream substitutes as they may contain coconut oil which is more saturated than butter. Also avoid frying and stewing meat as these cooking methods increase fat content. Eat more cottage cheese, farmer cheese, pot cheese, ricotta or yogurt instead of hard processed cheese. Their food supply came directly from nature, what they could grow, harvest or hunt. Each culture had a source of animal protein, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and sometimes fruit.
Diet is one thing, which a person has to maintain, in order to prevent heart disease and stroke. To prevent heart disease from getting worsening, you need to follow a strict and healthy diet. First of all, realize the major risk factors of heart disease. Fluctuation in blood pressure level, cholesterol level, diabetes, smoking and alcohol consumption may cause heart problems. A moderate intake of alcohol (no more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women) could reduce risk of heart disease in men over age of 40 and women over age of 50. Some types of alcohol contain antioxidant and do help in increasing HDL cholesterol and clear LDL cholesterol. However, high intake of alcohol increase blood pressure, so it is not recommendable to take alcohol to improve your heart.
Almonds and Cholesterol – Are Almonds a Heart-Healthy Snack
Almonds and Cholesterol: Are Almonds Really a Heart-Healthy Snack?
It seems that many people are experiencing confusion over almonds and if they should or shouldn’t be included as part of a heart healthy diet. On one hand, almonds are reported to lower bad LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, almonds are a calorie-dense food that’s also high in fat.
Numerous studies, including one by the British Journal of Medicine, has shown convincing evidence that regular almond consumption helps lower bad LDL cholesterol. And not just any LDL, but it’s been shown to reduce the small dense LDL particles that do the most damage to your arterial walls and puts you at a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
So what about the question of almonds being high in fat? Over 60% of the fat content in almonds is monounsaturated fats. (This is the same type of fat that is found in olive oil.) Monounsaturated fat is widely accepted to be a key ingredient to reducing the risk of heart disease and part of a heart-healthy diet.
But the health benefits of almonds doesn’t stop with having healthy natural fat and it’s ability to lower low-density lipoproteins. Almonds pack an antioxidant punch with it’s high levels of Vitamin E. And with over 60 mg of magnesium in a quarter-cup of almonds, that’s just more good news for your heart. You see, magnesium has been shown to help improve blood flow and make things ‘easy’ on your veins and arteries. (Translation: Less stress and work for your heart.)
Concerned about adding too many calories if you start eating almonds? Truth is, almonds have been shown to be beneficial at helping aid weight loss. But if you are just a little too ‘scared’ to add more calories, do this…
Substitute almonds for other foods vs. adding almonds to your existing diet. In fact, it’s been estimated by some researchers based on date from a Nurses Health Study that replacing carbohydrates with healthy nuts like almonds may low the risk of heart disease by as much as 30%. The risk may be lowered as much as 45% if you substitute nuts with saturated fats like those founds in meat and dairy.
Looking for some ways to add almonds to your diet? Try these…
– Add almonds to your salad instead of meat or croutons
– Add to your morning cereals (hot or cold)
– Add to yogurt for a tasty crunch
– Add sliced almonds to vegetable dish (great with green beans)
– Eat with a sandwich as a crunchy substitute for chips
– Two words: Almond butter!
And not surprising, eating almond as a “whole food” is optimal for maximum health benefits. The antioxidant punch mentioned previously is more than doubled when the skins are combined with the meat of the almond, compared to either one separately.
Symptoms Of Coronary Heart Disease
All of our muscles need a continuous supply of oxygen carried by the blood and the heart is no exception. However, due to diet, age, and other factors such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking, our coronary arteries may become smaller or clogged. When the blood flow to the heart is restricted, it results in coronary heart disease, sometimes known as CHD. Angina occurs when not enough blood carrying oxygen can get through to the heart. This often causes a pain in the left arm or chest. When the blood flow is cut off completely, a heart attack occurs. Any part of the heart that is not receiving the oxygen it needs begins to die and permanent damage to the muscle can be done.
What are the symptoms of coronary heart disease?
Some people may not experience any symptoms. Others may feel short of breath or experience a mild discomfort in their chest area. Still others suffering from coronary heart disease experience a constant chest pain that may hinder their everyday activities.
Those that suffer from angina say they feel a pressure or heaviness on their chest. This can sometimes include a burning sensation or they may say it feels like their chest is being squeezed. Other symptoms associated with coronary heart disease include dizziness, queasiness, shortness of breath, and can include heart palpitations. Pain may spread to their neck, jaw, or arms.
If you suffer from angina, the doctor will try to diagnose what type you have stable or unstable. Just like the names, stable angina tends to occur at certain times such as after you exert yourself, after a large meal, or when you get upset. The pain lasts between one and five minutes and usually resting helps alleviate the symptoms. If you have no pattern as to when you experience the pain, it is known as unstable angina. This is the more severe type of the two.
Once the doctor establishes that you do have coronary heart disease, he may ask you to take some tests to see to what damage has been done. One test he may order is the electrocardiogram (ECG). This will show him the electrical activity of the heart. A stress test is normally done on a treadmill. This forces the heart to work harder, a time when problems often show up. Your blood pressure and heart rate will also be monitored while taking the stress test. A nuclear scanning involves the doctor inserting a small amount of radioactive material into your vein. He can then see damage done by using a scanning camera. Finally, a coronary angiography is a test where a catheter is inserted into an artery (usually in your arm or leg) and it films the heart while it pumps. The picture it takes is known as an angiogram.
What is the treatment for coronary heart disease?
That depends on the severity. If it is less severe, the doctor will probably suggest lifestyle changes. Many people do not care for this treatment because it involves giving up things they love. You will need to change your diet so it is lower in fat and cholesterol. You will also need to start on an exercise regiment as well. Even a small amount of exercise can lower your risks of a heart attack. Smokers can drastically reduce their chances of a heart attack when they quit smoking. Even if you have already suffered from one heart attack, stopping smoking can prevent another.
Those with more severe cases of coronary heart disease may need to undergo surgery. Coronary angioplasty is one type of surgery for coronary heart disease. Often referred to as balloon angioplasty, this involves a catheter going through the artery that is blocked. The balloon on the end is inflated to help open up the artery. If the artery cannot be opened, you will need a coronary artery bypass operation. In this, the surgeon removes a blood vessel from another part of the body and graphs it onto the blocked artery. The blood is then able to go around the blockage by way of this new vessel. Even after having these surgeries, you will be asked to change your lifestyle.
If you experience any type of chest pain, it is imperative that you visit your doctor to get a checkup. Chances may be it is nothing life threatening, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Facts You Need To Know About Heart Disease
Heart disease is a disease of the heart that has several variations such as hypertension, congenital heart disease, heart infection, disorders of the heart valves and heart arrythmias. Heart disease doesnt develop all at once but comes on slowly and insidiously; with the patient seldom knowing that the disease is forming.
It is a fact that exercise, a healthy diet or low cholesterol can protect or prevent the various forms of heart disease. It is interesting to note; however, that not all types of heart disease are the result of unhealthy lifestyle habits. There are some variations of heart disease that are brought on by viruses. An example of this would be a baby born with a defect in a heart valve.
What most physicians recommend and suggest when talking about preventing heart disease is preventing coronary heart disease.
The facts state that more than 60 million Americans suffer from some form of heart disease. Sadly, statistics show that around 2600 people die each day from heart disease. Cancer comes in second as the nations largest killer.
But, these statistics need not frighten you because there are things you and I can do to prevent or lessen the chances of getting heart disease.
The major risk factors that lead to heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, heredity, gender and age. Most of these major risk factors can be lessened such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and inactivity. By being aware of how we can lessen or eliminate these factors by being vigilant and taking better care of our health, we can do a great deal to keep heart disease out of our lives.
There are also risk factors that contribute, or make it more likely that you will have heart disease such as stress, sex hormones, birth control pills and alcohol. These factors we do have some control over and with guidance from our physicians and practicing better health habits, we can keep these heart risk factors low.
And there are additional factors we can initiate to prevent heart disease. First of all if you smoke, stop. Next if you dont have an exercise program, begin one and start out smallsay 15-20 minutes and each week add on a few minutes more. Begin with walking or riding a stationary bike. You will feel healthier in a short time and your body will thank you.
Next, eat a diet that is healthy for your heart such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, more salads, nuts and whole grain breads and cereals. Stay away from saturated fats found in such food as muffins, pies, high-saturated meats and cheese. And, keep a healthy weight. Find out what your BMI isa figure that looks at your height in comparison to weight, and get regular health screeningsespecially for blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Don’t wait around and allow an unhealthy lifestyle lead to heart disease, for with preventative measures you can can prevent heart disease and add years to your life!
Weight Loss Reduces Heart Disease Symptoms
When our heart has problems with pumping blood, it starts to show symptoms like chest pain. Most of the heart disease occurs due to clogging of arteries. Heart is a muscular organ which pumps blood, so when arteries are clogged, heart has to exert more pressure to pump the same amount of blood. So this causes mild chest pain initially. As the clogs in arteries increases, heart loses its ability to pump blood.
Most of the heart disease is associated with the food we take in. Food high in saturated fat often clogs the arteries. Apart from that food high in protein also increases the thickness of the blood, which makes the clogged arteries furthermore difficult to pump blood. One of the initial heart disease symptoms is palpitation. Palpitation is a condition that causes either a skip in the heart beat or rapidly increases heart beat. Palpitation is considered as a common heart disease symptoms, but it can actually be a serious warning for major heart disease. Apart from this, fatigue, lethargy, and shortness of breath are also heart disease symptoms.
People who have diabetes mellitus are also more prone to heart disease. Their high blood sugar tends to convert food into fat, thereby increases the fatty deposits. This is one of the main reasons, that people with heart disease symptoms are advised to loss their weight. When a person looses weight, the amount of fat in the blood gets reduced. This causes the heart to pump more blood easily. This is also one of the reasons why doctors suggest blood thinner for people with heart diseases.
There are various ways to thin blood naturally. By reducing the intake of saturated foods, dairy products, high protein food, frozen foods, the blood naturally looses its thickness. What we eat daily contributes to the thickness of the blood. There are many weight loss supplements available in the market. It would be helpful for a person with heart disease symptoms to loose weight. But one must exercise sufficient care while buying over the counter weight loss supplements. Because heart is a very sensitive organ and it reacts quickly to any wrong medications. So it is essential to find out the ingredients of a weight loss supplements before trying out any.
One can also try natural weight loss methods. Water is a natural blood thinner. Drinking hot water or hot green tea regularly helps to remove toxins and unwanted fat from the body. Weight loss supplements have its merits and demerits. Before trying out any medicines, it is essential to keep in mind that heart is a very sensitive organ and any wrong medications would take its own course.
Some Facts About Heart Disease You Need To Know
Coronary Heart Disease Overview
It develops when fatty material, calcium, and scar tissue (plaque) were combined and builds up in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. Through these arteries, called coronary arteries the heart muscle (myocardium) gets oxygen and other nutriens it needs to pump blood.
Chronology
The plaque often narrows the artery so that the heart does not get enough blood.
This slowing of blood flow causes chest pain, or angina.
If plaque completely blocks blood flow, it may cause a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or a fatal rhythm disturbance (sudden cardiac arrest)
As a child, the inner lining of the coronary arteries is quite smooth, allowing blood to flow easily. As a person ages, the cholesterol and calcium content in the walls of the coronary arteries increases, making them thicker and less elastic.
Unhealthy habits, such as a diet high in cholesterol and other fats, smoking, and lack of exercise accelerate the deposit of fat and calcium within the inner lining of coronary arteries.
This process is known as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The deposits, or plaques, eventually obstruct the blood vessel, which begins to restrict blood flow.
Plaque is like a firm shell with a soft inner core containing cholesterol. As blood hits it during each heartbeat, the plaque may crack open and expose its inner cholesterol core, which promotes blood clotting. Clots may further reduce blood flow, causing severe pain (angina), or even block it all together.
What cause the appearance of serious disease?
Heredity, levels of cholesterol in blood above the healthy level, smoking habit,
Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercises, high fat diet, stress, and type A personality (impatient, aggressive, and competitive).
Symptoms
Cardiac arrest for most people who have previous heart attack
Chest pain on exertion (angina pectoris), which may be relieved by rest
Shortness of breath on exertion
Jaw pain, back pain, or arm pain, especially on left side, either during exertion or at rest
Weakness on exertion or at rest.
Feel dizzy/fainting.
Irregular heartbeat.
When to Seek Medical Care
If you have any of these conditions, please contact your health care provider. You may affect by the heart disease. These symptoms include of chest pain, feeling indigestion, shoulder or arm pain, jaw pain, shortness of breath after exertion, fainting, pain in the upper part of abdomen, unexplained nausea, vomiting/sweating, palpitations or dizziness.
Types of Heart Disease
Types of heart disease that affect the electrical system are known as arrhythmias. They can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or irregularly. These types of heart disease include Sinus tachycardia, Sinus bradycardia, Atrial fibrillation, Atrial flutter, Supraventricular tachycardia, Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, Ventricular tachycardia, Ventricular fibrillation.
Self Care at Home
Lifestyle changes are the most powerful way to prevent heart disease from getting worse or of reducing the risk of getting heart disease in the first place. The phenomenal drop in the heart disease death rate over the past 30 years has been due more to reducing risk factors than to advances in treatment.
Some of the tips are:
Eat a healthy heart diet, avoid take fat source food, lower the blood levels, do regular exercise, quit smoking, control high blood pressure, take a low dose aspirin daily.
Treatment
1.Aspirin: When taken daily or every other day, aspirin reduces the risk of developing angina or heart attack by reducing the tendency of your blood to clot.
2.Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, thus reducing your heart’s demand for oxygen
3.Calcium channel blockers: Calcium channel blockers dilate the coronary arteries to improve blood flow. They also reduce blood pressure, and slow heart rate.
4.Statins: Statin drugs work by reducing the amounts of lipids (cholesterol and other fats) in your blood.
5.Coronary angioplasty (PTCA): This procedure is similar to coronary angiography (cardiac catheterization or a dye study to visualize the inside of coronary arteries) but is therapeutic as well as diagnostic.
6.Stent: A stent is a small, sieved, coil-like metallic tube or scaffold mounted over a balloon. Stent: A stent is a small, sieved, coil-like metallic tube or scaffold mounted over a balloon.
7.Atherectomy: Sometimes the plaques become too rigid, bulky, or calcified to be treated with angioplasty or a stent.
8.Brachytherapy: Radiation is applied to the blockage to clear it.
What will they do if your health cant improve?
For the severe patient who doesnt have chances to improve, they will be advice to undergo a surgery. There are several types of surgery including of Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), Off-pump bypass surgery, Minimally invasive coronary bypass (MINI-CABS), Transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR). Please get the advice from medical experts for the suitable surgery.
For your futher information, feel free to visit us at, http://UltimateHealthyHeart.com/dzanial
Picking A Heart Specialists Or Cardiologist In Calgary
If you are having an emergency, meaning if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack then you should proceed to your nearest emergency . If you are having a heart attack you will undergo procedure to get investigated. Of course if you are fortunate you have survived the heart attack you will see your heart specialist or cardiologist in Calgary. Cardiologists in Calgary are high in demand. Wait times to see a cardiologist in Calgary can be weeks or months.
Of course you will see your heart specialists or cardiologist in the hospital. Your cardiologist will discuss the next step in the treatment of your heart disease. Once all the diagnostic tests and procedures have been completed, your next step is to take charge of your heart health. All heart specialists or cardiologists will recommend going to cardiac rehabilitation to regain your strength, endurance and learn lifestyle modification strategies to improve the health of your heart.
If you are in the hospital you will be assigned a cardiologist in Calgary to follow up with you. They will wish to see you with a few weeks or months of your heart event if all is stable. It will be sooner if things require further investigation.
In the event, that you see your family doctor and get referred to a heart specialist or cardiologist in Calgary you may have to wait a few weeks or months. There are options to take charge of your own heart health and learn all the options to reverse or prevent heart disease.
Cardiologists run very busy clinics in Calgary and often lack the time to discuss all aspects of your heart health. They will have time to check you out, make sure you are ok, answer a couple of questions, and ensure you are on the right cocktail of medications.
Here is where your cardiac rehabilitation and prevention team play a vital role in the health of your heart. A cardiologist lacks the time to educate you on all aspects of your heart health. In your cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program you will learn the anatomy of your heart, all the diagnostic test and procedures you have gone through, learn all your risk factors to heart disease, learn all your medications (an its side effects and effects on your body), learn stress management techniques, learn health nutrition habits and supplements, and learn a safe and effective way to exercise.
If you have diagnosed heart disease or if you are at risk of heart disease, having a heart specialists/cardiologist in your healthcare team to check up with you is important. You should also have your cardiac rehabilitation and prevention team to ensure that you can reverse or delay the progression of your disease.