Heart Disease Questions

1. How do I lower high triglycerides?

   Yes, high triglyceride levels are dangerous, and you do need to lower them. But doctors often don't do a good job of explaining why or how. Triglycerides (TG) are fats, or lipids. They're sometimes called the "forgotten fat," because everyone talks about cholesterol but neglects the importance of triglycerides...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

2. Can Someone With Mildly Elevated LDL Cholesterol Use Diet to Avoid Statins?

   Yes, a change in diet can help reduce so-called "lower elevated" LDL cholesterol levels -- and can often make taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs unnecessary.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 18 Community Answers

3. What is a MUGA test?

   A MUGA (MUltiple Gated Acquisition) scan is a nuclear medicine scan of the heart. It gives an assessment of the pumping function of the heart, as well as the flow of blood through the heart and the proximal aorta. A small amount of radioactive dye is used, and a special imager is used to visualize blood flow...
   1 Expert Answer

4. 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

5. Is aspirin necessary to treat heart disease?

   Yes. Aspirin may prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries of the heart, the primary cause of heart attacks in patients with coronary heart disease. I recommend taking a baby aspirin (81 mg) -- higher doses aren't more effective and cause more side effects such as bleeding.
   1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

6. Is Discomfort After Angioplasty Normal?

   It's not unusual to have brief episodes of chest pain in the first few hours after an angioplasty, but any sustained or recurrent chest pain, pressure, or discomfort should be reported to your father's physician. Prolonged symptoms may mean that the stent -- a small tube placed inside an artery to...
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7. What does it mean when a person has to get a ring in their heart after a triple bypass?

   A triple heart bypass is an operation that bypasses three coronary arteries, or coronary arteries in three places. A ring is a device that's used to repair a valve in the heart that's disease, usually either the mitral or aortic valve. The ring has to be placed by open heart surgery, and the bypass could be done at the same time...
   1 Expert Answer

8. Is a burning sensation associated with angina?

   People suffering from angina can feel discomfort or a burning sensation in many different locations including the chest, left arm, jaw, and left shoulder blade area. While the right chest is not a common place to feel angina type pain, it is definitely possible...
   1 Expert Answer

9. What do I do to treat an ascending enlarged aorta?

   It is a good thing that you had a heart scan and that you are now aware that you have an enlarged ascending aorta. I am not sure what type of "heart scan" you had, but generally a CT scan or MRI would be in order to best evaluate the enlargement of the ascending aorta.
   1 Expert Answer

10. Can sweating be a symptoms of heart disease?

    First of all we hope you are doing well after your surgery. Many people experience sweating as a symptom of heart disease - cold sweats or hot sweats. You should definitely mention this to your healthcare provider on your next visit expecially since you had experienced sweating prior to you bypass procedure...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

11. How can borderline cardiomegaly be treated?

    Cardiomegaly is an enlargement of the heart. Some of the common causes of cardiomegaly are: a virus, previous heart attack, inflammation, medications, uncontrolled high blood pressure and excessive exercise. Common symptoms of cardiomegaly include: difficulty breathing, dizziness, and the quickening...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

12. 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

13. Is a "racing heart" normal for someone with heart disease after a bypass?

    It's not uncommon, but that doesn't mean it's nothing to be concerned about. Your mother's symptoms should be reported to her physician immediately.
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

14. 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

15. How can I help boost my mother's mood after her bypass surgery for heart disease?

    First, you need to confirm that she actually has depression. There are a lot of different things that can masquerade as depression, including anemia (from her surgery) and low thyroid activity. She needs to see her doctor to rule those out.
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

16. Can Coenzyme Q10 raise my mother's ejection fraction?

    There have been quite a few studies of CoQ10 and heart failure, but none of the best-designed ones have shown any benefit from this expensive treatment. Unlike CoQ10, many of the medicines prescribed for heart failure have shown clear benefits in prolonging survival, preventing hospitalization, and relieving symptoms...
    1 Expert Answer

17. What are the non-surgical options for 100% heart blockage on one side of heart?

    Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to manage coronary artery disease besides surgery. People who have limited coronary artery disease without heart failure probably don't benefit from surgery, and people who have diffuse coronary artery disease that's spread throughout the vessels can't benefit from surgery because there's nothing to bypass...
    1 Expert Answer, 14 Community Answers

18. Is there a procedure to eliminate arterial fibrillation?

    There is a procedure called ablation, in which the electrical connection between the atria and ventricles is cauterized. This prevents the electrical impulses from the atria from being transmitted to the ventricles. The good news is that this can control your heart rate: the ventricles will no longer...
    1 Expert Answer

19. 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

20. What is the average life expectancy for a heart disease patient after a bypass surgery?

    Unfortunately, it's not possible to answer this question over the internet. Your friend's life expectancy depends on many different factors, including what type of bypass surgery she had and how old she was when she had the bypass. Depending on the type of bypass surgery, the grafts can stay open for...
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