Mend a Broken Heart
Mend a Broken Heart
Dr. Arlen Fleisher is a leading heart surgeon in Westchester County, New York. Seven years ago he founded a remarkable organization "The Mend a Broken Heart Foundation (MBHF). MBHF is a voluntary organization dedicated to saving the lives of children form around the world who suffer with life-threatening heart problems. Other key players in the organization are William Deluca, President of the Mend a Broken Heart Foundation and senior Vice President of Manhattan Beer, as well as Board members Michael Pisacreta and Al Greco.
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Cardiovascular Operations Way Overused, Critics Say
Coronary bypass operations, reaming out arteries with balloon-tipped catheters, and placing drug-coated wire-mesh tubes in blood vessels to keep them open are procedures performed on millions of Americans a year.
But most of these expensive and sometimes risky operations may actually be unnecessary, according to Miami cardiologist Michael Ozner, medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida, because they skip counseling patients about diet, exercise and stress management. Ozner is one of many doctors who are vocally critical of what they see as the overuse of "interventional cardiology," which is lucrative for the physicians and hospitals that perform it, but which may actually be frivolously wasting the country's limited health-care resources.
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The Healing Influence of Religiousness
Study after study over the years has shown that practicing one's religion - with all of the persistence and sincerity that demands - inevitably leads to improved health and ability to recover from illness. For example, a 1987-95 research investigation of 21,000 Americans found that those who attended worship services more than once a week experienced a seven-year greater life span than their counterparts who never attended such services. Epidemiologist Jeff Levin, who wrote the book God, Faith and Health, conducted studies showing that older adults who thought of themselves as religious had better overall health than the faith-less. Read more about The Healing Influence of Religiousness
Hundreds of Strokes Found to Be Avoidable
A University of Manchester study has found that hundreds of strokes could be prevented each year if patients suffering from "mini-strokes", or transient ischaemic attacks (TIA), were assessed sooner by specialist clinicians. Researchers found that almost two thirds of patients attending what are termed 'rapid access' TIA clinics took more than the recommended seven days to be seen by a professional. A transient ischaemic attack is a temporary weakening of one side of the face and corresponding arm which drastically increases a person's chances of suffering from a major stroke within days of the symptoms. Some studies have put the risk as high as a one in for probability. Read more about Hundreds of Strokes Found to Be Avoidable
Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease
Dr. Marianne Legato discusses how she evaluates patients being screened for cardiovascular disease. She says that one of the things she looks for are the signs of early coronary artery disease in men, as well as the unique symptoms in women. Women also experience coronary artery spasm, which does not affect men, that can cause angina even in the presence of non-obstructive coronary disease. They can have clean coronaries and still experience chest pain. Read more about Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease
What is the Polypill?
Dr. Valentin Fuster discusses the Polypill. The Polypill is being developed in response to an important reality surrounding cardiovascular disease. There are three important drugs that can help prevent heart disease (statins, ACE inhibitors, and aspirin). These drugs are not taken for two major reasons. First, the drugs are simply too expensive for much of the world, including countries as developed as Russia. And secondly, in developed nations where the drugs are affordable patients too often fail to comply - after three years 70% of patients do not take the medications as prescribed. Read more about What is the Polypill?
What is Coronary Artery Disease?
Dr. Valentin Fuster, one of the world's leading cardiologists, discusses the basics of coronary heart disease. Dr. Fuster than describes the symptoms of a heart attack and how to differentiate these symptoms from other conditions. Most importantly, he urges viewers to pay attention to these symptoms and the importance of getting medical treatment as soon as possible, even if one has the least suspicion of a coronary incident. Getting treatment in the first hour or two can minimize damage to heart muscle. Read more about What is Coronary Artery Disease?
What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?
Dr. Sattesh Babu of Vascular Associates of Westchester discusses Peripheral Arterial Disease, who is at risk, why it is important to be screened and current treatments. Pad is essentially a blockage of the arteries in the lower extremities. That is what we mean by peripheral arteries -- leg arteries blocked by hardening of the arteries, buildup of cholesterol, plaque and calcium. This in part is a process of aging, but certainly also brought on by smoking. Diabetes is another risk factor, as is hypertension. Read more about What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?
What is Carotid Stenosis?
Dr. Sateesh Babu of Vascular Associates of Westchester discusses "What is Carotid Stenosis?", the treatments, who should be screened and future developments, such as new stenting techniques. Read more about What is Carotid Stenosis?
Hospital Rankings Partially Accurate for Heart Patients
It appears that for heart attack patients, the rating by U.S. News & World Report may be justified. A new study published in the July edition of Archives of Internal Medicine found that patients treated at hospitals ranked by U.S. News & World Report are less likely to die 30 days after being admitted than those at an unranked hospital. The study also found that ranked hospitals were more likely to have lower than expected overall death rates.. Read more about Hospital Rankings Partially Accurate for Heart Patients
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