Medical

Have Heart

What you should know about cardio care
LADIES, WHEN IT COMES DOWN to the facts—they are heartrending. Heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular diseases are devastating to women, destroying the lives of more women per year than all other cancers combined. Among the common risk factors are: increasing age, heredity, smoking, high blood pressure and obesity. Other factors like stress can cause hypertension, ultimately causing the onset of heart disease.

Regardless of the fact that one in four women perish from heart disease, until now, cardiovascular disease was mostly overlooked in women due to its misleading label as a “men’s disease.” Luckily, due to scientific advances and owledgeable doctors, the rate of heartrelated deaths in the U.S. are nearing a record low, according to the American Heart Association. Frankly, we’re glad to see the medical field is now giving more attention to this deadly disease, and are intrigued by the new advances that are developing. Be kind to your heart; know the facts. >> —D.D.

Women and Heart Disease
MOST WOMEN, young and old, live with the misconception that breast cancer is a worse risk to their lives than heart disease. But heart attacks kill more men and women than any cancer. In fact, according to Dr.Jacob Litwinczuk, an interventional cardiologist on staff at Jupiter Medical Center, women are more likely to die from Cardiovascular disease than all forms of cancer combined.

Dr. Litwinczuk says that because women are more likely to have different symptoms of heart disease than men, both they—and even some doctors—may overlook Cardiovascular disease in the feminine gender.

“Women, on average, present with disease 10 years later than men and when they develop angina (chest pains) it is sometimes attributed to anxiety and panic attacks,” he says.

It is vitally important for women to be aware of the risk factors for heart disease, its symptoms and, most importantly, to take control through lifestyle choices to modify those risks.

Dr. Litwinczuk points to three most important risk factors: hypertension (high blood pressure), smoking and cholesterol levels. Controlling these factors are essential to good heart health.

A good way to fight off a heart attack is to watch your diet. Dr. Litwinczuk is a staunch proponent of the so-called Mediterranean diet, which features fish, monosaturated fats such as canola oil, vegetables and fresh fruit. Second, be sure to exercise, but discuss it with your doctor before undertaking any program. Third, give up smoking if you are a smoker, and don’t start if you haven’t taken up the habit.

By making some small changes to their habits, women can begin to take a proactive stance against heart disease. Live knowledgably and you are sure to live a healthier life. For inquiries about heart health, contact Jupiter Medical Center at 561.747.2234.

Making MRI and Heart Devices Play Nice
UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, patients with implanted heart devices were out of luck if they needed to have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test. It was feared that the MRI machine’s powerful electromagnetic fields could heat up or dislodge the metal components of a pacemaker or defibrillator, causing tissue damage, device malfunction or even death.

But Johns Hopkins heart experts Henry Halperin, Saman Nazarian and colleagues have painstakingly determined how to safely perform MRI scans on patients with modern pacemakers and defibrillators, which are made of titanium and better protected from radiofrequency energy.

To prevent misfires, they reprogram each device so its electronics won’t mistake the MR radiofrequency for an arrhythmia. They also turn off a defibrillator’s shocking function for the 30 to 60 minutes needed to perform the imaging test. In addition, they halve the amount of energy used at peak scanning, reducing the strength of the electromagnetic field from as much as four watts per kilogram to two watts per kilogram per patient. And during the scan, they closely monitor every patient using electrocardiography and pulse oximetry.

The Hopkins team has been able to make definitive diagnoses in some 180 patients who have been scanned so far, helping plan artery-opening procedures, measuring tumor growth, detecting strokes and a brain mass, and diagnosing a blood clot in the spine that had been missed by CT scanning. They also pinpointed the cause of one woman’s seizures.

For more information about cardiovascular treatments at Johns Hopkins, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/heart.

Innovative Thermogard™ System for Cardiac and Vascular Surgery
THE RESULTS OF A STUDY conducted by Gary Allen, M.D., F.A.C.S., Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery at Memorial Regional Hospital, were recently published in the medical journal, “Annals of Thoracic Surgery.”

Dr. Allen’s study, “Intra-Operative Temperature Control Using the Thermogard™ System During Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery,” originally presented at The World Society of Cardio Thoracic Surgeons Congress in Greece in May, 2008, demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of endovascular temperature control. In addition, endovascular warming is simple to employ and eliminates the need for uncomfortably warm operating room temperatures. In fact, based on 38 cases where open-heart patients were randomly given either conventional warming or the Thermogard system, clinical outcomes actually improved.

Dr. Allen has been Chief of the Adult Cardiac Surgery program for Memorial Regional Hospital since January, 2008. He provides extensive expertise and programmatic leadership to the healthcare system’s Cardiac and Vascular team. In 2007, Dr. Allen was the 33rd surgeon in the world inducted into the “Beating Heart Hall of Fame,” an honor given by Guidant Corporation to the top cardiac surgeons who demonstrate exemplary off-pump procedure technique.

Aside from being an accomplished, published author, Dr. Allen is also a highly sought-after speaker and course director. Clinical research, graduate medical education and patient education are important facets of his practice outside the operating room.

Memorial Cardiac & Vascular Institute is a leader in cardiovascular care in South Florida, offering a full array of services dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The cardiovascular specialists at the Institute pride themselves on working together as a cohesive team, making sure that you receive both undivided attention and unparalleled care. To find out more about cardiovascular care at Memorial Regional Hospital, call 954.987.2000.

Groundbreaking alternatives to open-heart surgery
AS THE POPULATION AGES, the average age of patients undergoing openheart surgery has increased rapidly. The increased age of the patients adds an element of risk to this kind of surgery. Cardiovascular surgeons are working to develop new techniques for less patient risk. With the rapid advances made in technology, alternatives to open surgical procedures increase. For example, the number of coronary artery bypass surgical procedures is continuing to decrease with an increase in less invasive percutaneous coronary stenting.

There will be an increase in minimally invasive-hybrid procedures. There have been tremendous advances made in transcather endovascular peripheral vascular procedures expanding to the treatment of thoracic aortic and abdominal aortic aneurysms. For instance, intricate repairs to the heart can now be performed through flexible catheters threaded into blood vessels in the groin or arm. Using this method, physicians can repair or replace heart valves, open blockages in the blood vessels, gently ablate the surface of the heart to stop arterial fibrillation and perform a host of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In comparison to open-heart surgery, catheter techniques can mean less pain and faster recovery for patients.

At Palm Beach Cardiovascular Associates, Dr. Richard Faro works with cardiology and radiology colleagues to provide combined or hybrid procedures–ateam approach. As noted with the increasing number of patients, the number of procedures will increase as well. Emerging techniques will even encompass taking advantage of the growth of molecular biology and robotics. The future will be a cardiac surgeon leading a team, designating a surgical interventionalist who will offer both open and percutaneous treatment modalities. The new techniques and procedures will be of great benefit to patients. Call Palm Beach Cardiovascular Associates at 561.626.9801