Heart Attacks Questions

1. What Are the New Cholesterol Tests?

   In the past few years, new cholesterol tests have become available that are more sensitive and individualized. They go by a number of names; the most common is lipoprotein subfraction testing. Right now, doctors usually order these tests for people who have a strong family history of heart disease...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

2. Is a large bruise from a stent closure be cause for concern?

   This is potentially very serious. It sounds like it could be a leakage from your femoral artery, and people can bleed to death from such leakages after this kind of procedure. It's a potentially life-threatening problem, and one that calls for an immediate visit to the nearest emergency room.
   1 Expert Answer

3. What does having a "Low LD Serum" mean?

   LD stands for Lactic Acid Dehydrogenase, which is an enzyme found in many tissues of the body (kidney, heart, muscle, brain, liver). Since it is widely distributed, this is a non-specific test used to determine if a heart attack may have happened. SInce your levels are low, this would mean that there is no heart damage...
   1 Expert Answer

4. Can a lack of hair indicate heart disease?

   Hi:
   1 Expert Answer

5. What causes sweating during a heart attack?

   Sweating during a heart attack is usually caused by overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is what causes your "fight or flight" response. When someone starts to experience pain such as pain with a heart attack hormones are released...
   1 Expert Answer

6. How soon can you work after a heart attack?

   We are sorry to hear about your partner's heart attack. The time people are out of work following a heart attack can vary. Many times it depends upon the treatment that was done for the heart attack-for example, was an angioplasty done or stent placed, was there bypass surgery,etc...
   1 Expert Answer

7. Can heart attack symptoms occur over the course of a few days?

   Many people experience warning signs of a heart attack several days or even weeks before a heart attack. Shortness of breath, chest pain or chest discomfort, neck/shoulder or upper back pain/discomfort, nausea, overwhelming fatigue, numbness/tingling in hands can be some of the symptoms of a heart attack...
   1 Expert Answer

8. Will a defibrillator protect my husband from a heart attack?

   I am sorry to hear about your husband's recent heart attack. You definitely did a great job starting CPR! A defibrillator will shock the heart when it goes into abnormal rhythms like ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia, which can be life-threatening heart rhythms. These rhythms can be caused by a heart attack...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

9. What alternative treatments are avaiable for blocked arteries?

   Diet and lifestyle changes can have a tremendous impact on preventing the progression of coronary artery disease but there are NO large reliable prospective scientific studies to demonstrate the reversal of disease. I was even at an American Heart Association conference several years ago when Dr Ornish...
   2 Expert Answers, 1 Community Answer

10. What's the Difference Between Angina, Coronary Artery Disease, and Heart Disease?

    The number of different terms used for types of heart disease can be confusing. Angina is actually a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), which is also called coronary heart disease.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

11. How can I tell if my mother's having an angina episode or a heart attack?

    Angina (chest pain) and heart attacks stem from the same cause -- a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the heart due to narrowed or blocked blood vessels. The difference lies in severity and duration.
    1 Expert Answer

12. What is giving my father more frequent heart palpitations?

    There are a number of possible causes. Sometimes palpitations (feeling the heartbeat) are the result of anxiety and have nothing to do with a heart abnormality. Palpitations can also be caused by irregular heartbeats, which may feel like extra beats or skipped beats. Even though this is common and usually isn't serious, it can still be worrisome...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

13. How can I convince my father to have coronary bypass surgery?

    It’s understandable that you want your father to have the surgery. Bypass surgery can definitely extend the lives of some patients with heart disease. However, surgery also has its own dangers, so patients must weigh the risks and benefits for themselves. If your father says he'll never be the same e person, he probably won't be...
    1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

14. Are intimate relations safe after a heart attack?

    Unfortunately, there's no way I can answer this question. The answer depends on so many different variables. Your husband really needs to go back and see a doctor who has access to his medical records to see if he's been fully treated. Best of luck to you both.
    1 Expert Answer

15. What can swollen ankles mean after a heart attack?

    Swelling of the ankles, shortness of breath, and coughing are all symptoms of some degree of heart failure. But it's only been a week, so it's not cause for alarm. He'll have another evaluation in a few weeks, with an echocardiogram. And he'll continue to have medication adjustments to address any heart failure or persistent coronary artery disease...
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

16. Is a pacemaker a solution for arterial fibrillation?

    If the high heart rate caused by atrial fibrillation can't be controlled with medications, then a pacemaker might be used. Or if a patient has other problems with the conducting system in his heart, then a pacemaker might be used. But atrial fibrillation is most commonly managed with medications that control the heart rate and anticoagulants...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

17. How long can you live with only one side of your heart functioning?

    First of all we are sorry to hear about your friend, unfortunately it is a relatively common problem. An implantable defibrillator is used when the heart muscle weakens, such as after a heart attack. The right side of the heart is normally smaller than the left side and is more prone to damage after a heart attack...
    1 Expert Answer

18. Is there such a thing as "thin skin"?

    Thin skin in the elderly is quite a common occurrence, and Jennifer is right, it can be exacerbated by a daily aspirin, Plavix, or coumadin regimen (blood thinners) or by chronic use of prednisone for other conditions.
    2 Expert Answers, 17 Community Answers

19. Is there a test that can tell if you've had previous heart attacks?

    Glad to hear you plan to go to the hospital if this ever happens again. The pain you have experienced in the past could be related to heart problems and should be evaluated. You may have been experiencing angina which is a warning sign of an impending heart attack...
    1 Expert Answer, 7 Community Answers

20. Can a leaky heart valve cause heart failure?

    When your heart valves do not close well, this allows blood to leak backwards, which can contribute to heart failure. The severity of heart failure will depend on which valves are not working properly, and how severe the leaks are. The best way to determine this is to have an echocardiogram, which...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer