Heart Disease (cont.)
Medical Author:
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEMDr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Medical Editor:
Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAIDr. Kulick received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center and a fellowship in the section of cardiology at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MDMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology. In this Article
 EchocardiographyUsed with or without exercise, echocardiography can assess how the heart works. Using sound waves to generate an image, a cardiologist can evaluate many aspects of the heart. Echocardiograms can examine the structure of the heart including the heart valves, the thickness of the heart muscle, the septum (the tissues that separate the four heart chambers from each other) and the pericardial sac (the outside lining of the heart). The test can indirectly assess blood flow to parts of the heart muscle. If there is decreased blood flow, then segments of the heart wall may not beat as strongly as adjacent heart muscle. These wall motion abnormalities signal the potential for coronary artery disease. The echocardiogram can also assess the efficiency of the heart by measuring ejection fraction. Normally when the heart beats, it pushes more than 60% of the blood in the ventricle out to the body. Many diseases of the heart, including coronary artery disease, can decrease this percentage (the ejection fraction). Perfusion studiesRadioactive chemicals like thallium or technetium can be injected into a vein and their uptake measured in heart muscle cells. Abnormally decreased uptake can signify decreased blood flow to parts of the heart because of coronary artery narrowing. This test may be used when the patient's baseline EKG is not normal and is less reliable when used to monitor a stress test. Computerized tomographyThe latest generation of CT scanners can take detailed images of blood vessels and may be used as an adjunct to determine whether coronary artery disease is present. In some institutions, the heart CT is used as a negative predictor. That means that the test is done to prove that the coronary arteries are normal rather than to prove that the disease is present. Reviewed by Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI on 9/14/2011 Patient CommentsViewers share their comments
Heart Disease - Diagnosis
Question: Have you been diagnosed with a type of heart disease? If so, what was the diagnosis and treatment.
Heart Disease - Risk Factors
Question: What are/were your risk factors for developing heart disease?
Heart Disease - Symptoms
Question: Describe the symptoms associated with your heart disease.
Heart Disease - Tests
Question: Please describe the exams and tests you received that led to a diagnosis of heart disease.
Heart Disease - Prevention
Question: If you have or are at risk for heart disease, how do you try to prevent a heart attack?
Heart Disease - Medications
Question: What medications and/or supplements do you take to prevent heart disease?
Heart Disease - Angioplasty
Question: Please share your experience with angioplasty, stenting, or heart surgery.
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