Hi Tessa,
You are right to question this; starvation does not cause coronary artery disease. It may cause however a form of cardiomyopathy ("dilated cardiomyopathy") that may lead to heart failure. A dilated cardiomyopathy , other than intrinsic heart disease, has many causes that might interest you:
Hi Jaspreet,
You haven't told me what surgery he needs. He has moderately severe heart failure with an EF=28% that is probably aggravated by the pneumonia. Any surgery should be delayed till he has recovered from that condition.
As you will read in the link there are all sorts of treatments available for patients with a weak heart. While an operation is more risky than in someone with normal function, any procedure depends on weighing the risks against the potential benefits. With that in mind, successful surgery is eminently possible: I have performed many an operation...
Hi Sara,
I don't know what causes these pains. However, the location and description of your symptoms is unlikely to associated with coronary artery disease (CAD).
What I DO know is that you are at risk for heart disease (as well as other illnesses) because of your smoking and high blood pressure, as well as other possible factors you haven't told to me. I have performed...
Hi Peter,
No. Despite drug companies' assertions to the contrary a blockage is there for life. Medications such as statins, may prevent or slow down the formation of new blockages. Depending on the number of blockages and their location, for many patients a heart healthy lifestyle is protective for many years. The same principle applies to whether (when the time comes) you will need an intervention such as stenting or bypass surgery...
Hi Claire,
Palpitations and unexplained tachycardias are never normal. T-wave inversions can range from a serious condition such as a heart attack due to coronary artery disease (CAD). Assuming you are otherwise healthy, it is VERY unlikely you have had an MI or other major cardiac event and not know about it.
Besides an EKG, you also need some blood tests that include checking you for anemia and your thyroid function. You can check also your...
A sinus arrhythmia would not account for your symptoms, but that doesn't mean you had an arrhythmia during those episodes (thus not recorded). Fainting certainly can be caused by an arrhythmia, either too slow or too fast that may decrease the blood flow to your brain.
I cannot tell from here whether this is a cardiac vs. neurological issue, or whether you have a GI problem with dehydration. Frankly, this is the kind of thing your PCP should sort out, so that he can refer you to a specialist with a specific question. For...
Hi Amelia,
Of course not. There are excellent reasons to recommend an operation for snoring but NOT to prevent a heart attack or stroke later in life as has been reported (incorrectly) recently in the news. Coronary artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis, which is caused by a number of cardiac risk factors, none of which include snoring. However, many...
Hi Lauren,
An occasional "sin" is not going to hurt him. None-the-less he HAS coronary artery disease and should be careful. Just because he is doing so well doesn't mean he has been cured. A CABG4 means he has:
Hi Rebecca,
Of course not; repeat stress tests depend on your symptoms, risks for heart disease and findings of heart disease if present If you are at high risk (calculate here), or have known heart disease, a repeat stress tests may be necessary for a limited period of time to judge whether your present therapy is adequate. Other than that, it...
Hi John,
If your symptoms are new since the pacemaker implant, it needs to be checked and I doubt the ER looked at all options. When the pacemaker leads were positioned inside your heart, one of them may have perforated your heart muscle and cause some blood to leak into your heart sack. If so, I am concerned you may have a pericardial effusion causing a condition called tamponade. You should see your doctor asap and ask for a cardiac echo to check this out.
I...
hello, i am 37fem with 3 kids. lately i have been experiencing odd pains in my chest/back(occasionally and scared it's angina.
specifically, started few weeks ago, i went for my pap test and got nervous when waiting i started feeling like "water" running in my chest and i believe i had acid reflux. then on friday, i was on the bus with my kids and i started having...
Hi. In July of '11, I had cardiac arrest and emergency quad bypass. All went well...
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