Atrial Fibrillation Center - Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz Cardiologist Doctors for Atrial FibrillationType of Physician: Cardiologist What is a Cardiologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners are expert in diseases of the heart, lungs and blood vessels. They consult with surgeons on heart surgery, perform diagnostic procedures, and manage complex conditions such as heart attacks and arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeat). Specialty: Cardiology Common Name: Heart Doctor Cardiologist Doctors in Santa Cruz * Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel Ave  James Philip Glancy MD  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel Ave  Santa Cruz Medical Foundation Soquel Ave  Anthony Calciano MD  Gerald P O'Grady MD  Ann Carroll & Miguel Vasquez MD  Jeffrey G Mace MD  Ann Carroll & Miguel Vasquez MD  Heart & Lung Ctr  Brennan Medical Group  Brennan Medical Group  National Avenue Medical Associates  Heart Associates  Casey & Green Inc  Gold Hirschfeld & Siegel MD  Casey & Green Inc  Gold Hirschfeld & Siegel MD  Ada A Koransky MD  Heart Associates  Michael R Nagel MD  Richard Parrish MD  Heart Associates  Heart Associates  Gold Hirschfeld & Siegel MD  Chung H Liao MD  Ronald G Kite MD  San Jose Cardiology  San Jose Cardiology  San Jose Cardiology  Wentzien Thomas MD  Kaiser Permanente Medical Group Cardiology  Santa Clara Kaiser Permanente Electrophysiology  Kaiser Permanente Medical Group Cardiology  Santa Clara Kaiser Permanente Electrophysiology  Kaiser Permanente Medical Group Cardiology  Kaiser Permanente Medical Group Cardiology  Kaiser Permanente Medical Group Cardiology  Santa Clara Kaiser Permanente Electrophysiology  Forest Avenue Medical Group  Pascual Izquierdo MD  San Jose Medical Group Cardiology  Robert Quint MD  Charles Tuffli MD  San Jose Medical Group Cardiology  Silpa Avula MD & Anthony C Lopez MD  David Hyun MD  Cardiac and Vascular Care  Mohammad Shenasa MD  Mohammad Shenasa MD  South Valley Multi Specialty Group  ANTHONY C. LOPEZ M.D.  South Valley Multi Specialty Group  CVI Medical Group  CVI Medical Group  CVI Medical Group  CVI Medical Group  CVI Medical Group  CVI Medical Group  Joseph C Chao MD FACC  Cesar R Molina MD INC  Cesar R Molina MD INC  Cesar R Molina MD INC  Altos Cardiovascular Associates  Altos Cardiovascular Associates  Altos Cardiovascular Associates  Altos Cardiovascular Associates  Ngai Nguyen MD  James Weidner MD  David A Clark MD  Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Cardiology  Camino Medical Group  Camino Medical Group  Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Cardiology  Camino Medical Group  Camino Medical Group  Camino Medical Group  Chanwell Medical Group  Anuradha Chirala MD  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Cardio Pulmonary Associates  Mohammed Habeeb Ahmed MD  John H Lien MD  Dushyant Patel & Mandakini Patel MD's  Shahid K Siddiqui MD  Fayaz Asghar MD  Patrick W Pau MD & Adrian Ma MD  Patrick W Pau MD & Adrian Ma MD  Rajesh Prasad MD  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital Cardiology  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital Cardiology  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital Cardiology  Palo Alto Veterans Hospital Cardiology Santa Cruz, CaliforniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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Atrial FibrillationRead the Atrial Fibrillation article » What is atrial fibrillation?Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common, abnormal rhythm of the heart. The heart contracts (beats) and pumps blood with a regular rhythm, for example,
at a rate of 60 beats per minute there is a beat every second. The heart may
beat faster or slower with a shorter or longer interval between beats, but at
any one rate the interval between beats is constant. This regular rhythm occurs
as a result of regular electrical discharges (currents) that travel through the
heart and cause the muscle of the heart to contract. In atrial fibrillation, the electrical
discharges are irregular and rapid and, as a result, the heart beats irregularly
and, usually, rapidly.
What causes atrial fibrillation?Normal function of the heart The heart has four chambers. The upper two chambers are the atria, and the lower two chambers are the ventricles. Blood returning to the heart from the body in the superior and inferior vena cava contains low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide. This blood flows into the right atrium and then into the adjacent right ventricle. After the ventricle fills, contraction of the right atrium pumps additional blood into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then contracts and pumps the blood to the lungs where the blood takes up oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide. The blood then flows from the lungs to the left atrium and into the adjacent left ventricle. Contraction of the left atrium pumps additional blood into the left ventricle. The left ventricle then contracts and pumps the blood to the rest of the body. The heartbeat (pulse) that we feel is caused by the contraction of the ventricles. The ventricles must deliver enough blood to the ... Recommended Reading Related to Atrial FibrillationHeart Attack Prevention Overview » IntroductionCoronary atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. Coronary atherosclerosis is the major cause of heart attacks. Heart attacks are the major cause of sudden unexpected death among otherwise healthy adults in the prime of their lives. Heart attacks are also a significant cause of heart failure (due to weakened heart muscle) in this country. Heart failure considerably decreases a person's longevity and quality of life. In dollar terms, coronary heart disease is costly. The total cost of coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty and stenting, medications, and hospitalizations exceeds 50 billion dollars annually. Coronary atherosclerosis, and hence heart attacks, are preventable. A person can significantly lower his or her risk of heart attack by lowering high blood pressure, controlling diabetes, stopping cigarett... Other Related Atrial Fibrillation ArticlesEmergency Contact for Santa Cruz
Nearby Santa Cruz Hospitals *Dominican Hospital Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Watsonville Community Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Mission Oaks Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose El Camino Hospital of Los Gatos Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center Santa Clara Valley Medical Center O'Connor Hospital Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center Saint Louise Regional Hospital El Camino Hospital Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Medical Center of San Jose Natividad Medical Center VA Palo Alto Health Care System Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System Stanford Hospital & Clinics Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Menlo Park Surgical Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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