What should I do if I think I am having a heart attack?
A.
IF YOU THINK YOU ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK, PLEASE DO NOT CALL CARDIOVASCULAR ASSOCIATES. CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. Emergency medical service teams are better equipped to handle active heart attacks.
Chest pain can be a warning of heart disease--or it can be a symptom of a heart attack. Other symptoms are: discomfort or pain going to the neck, back, jaw, arms, or shoulders; numbness or tingling in one or both arms; nausea or vomiting; shortness of breath; extreme fatigue; sweating; weakness, dizziness, or passing out; or indigestion (heartburn). If you or a loved one ever experience chest pain--especially if one or more of the other symptoms are also present--seek medical attention immediately by calling 9-1-1.
Q.
What is a VAP test?
A.
The VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) test is an expanded cholesterol test that provides additional information to identify heart disease risk. Like routine cholesterol tests, the VAP Test measures total cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. However, it also measures important cholesterol components that are significant "markers" for heart disease. The test can be done without fasting.
Q.
What is the difference between a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon?
A.
A cardiologist handles diagnosis and health maintenance while the surgeon does the heart surgeries such as open heart surgery or heart transplants. An interventional cardiologist does procedures such as balloon angioplasty or stents.
Q.
If I am diagnosed with heart disease, what are my treatment options?
A.
Many heart conditions can be treated without surgery. Today's treatments for heart disease include many new medications and non-surgical procedures such as balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, and stents. Heart patients can also greatly improve their health by making positive lifestyle changes.
Q.
What does it mean when a physician is Board Certified for a certain specialty?
A.
After nearly 20 years of reflection and debate, the Board began to issue time-limited certificates in 1990. To the ABIM, continuous professional development is the obligation of an accountable profession, and it promotes the continuing medical education of physicians and improves the quality of patient care. Twenty-three of the 24 member Boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMB), of which the ABIM is a member, require their diplomates to maintain their certification.
The goal and objectives of CPD are to:
improve the quality of patient care
set standards of clinical competence for the practice of internal medicine and its subspecialties, and areas of added qualifications (adolescent medicine, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, critical care medicine, clinical laboratory immunology, geriatric medicine, and sports medicine), and
foster the continuing scholarship required for professional excellence over a lifetime of practice.
Q.
What can I do to avoid heart disease?
A.
Each of us has our own set of risk factors for heart disease. Taken together, these factors indicate the likelihood that we will develop heart problems. There are two kinds of risk factors: those you cannot change, such as your age, gender, and family history; and those you can change, such as diet, exercise, and smoking. Health conditions such as cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes can be more or less important as risk factors, depending on how you manage them. Even if you know all your risk factors, you won't know for sure if you will get heart disease. However, you will get an idea of your risk for heart disease and of whether you should be making lifestyle changes to help reduce that risk.
