By Jonathan Mauser, MD, FACC
Sudden cardiac death is a leading public health problem in our country and in our community. Many advances have been made in the technology and approach to saving lives when people experience cardiac arrest. We have more work to do, however, in raising public awareness about this life-saving technology.
By Qutaybeh Maghaydah, MD, FACC
Most of us pay little attention to the rhythm of our beating hearts unless that rhythm abruptly changes for no apparent reason: rapid or irregular heartbeats, known as cardiac arrhythmia, can be very disquieting. The causes of arrhythmia are varied and the severity ranges from mild to severe. For these reasons, accurate diagnosis and treatment are important.
By Brian Marino, DO
Congestive heart failure is very common and affects close to 6 million people in the United States. Among people age 65 and older, it is the leading cause of hospitalization.
By Lynn Swisher, MD, FACC
February is national Heart Month, the goal of which is to draw attention to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in this country. By learning more about the causes of heart disease, our personal risk factors for developing it, and measures we can take to prevent it, we can have a positive impact on the nation’s number one cause of death.
By Lynn Swisher, MD
It’s a classic patient story. A 55-year-old man, suffering mild to moderate chest pain, finally saw a doctor at his wife’s insistence. As his medical history unfolded, the doctor learned that the patient’s mother and father both died of heart attacks while in their sixties, and two of his siblings had heart attacks, as well. Yet, in spite of a family history of heart disease, this gentleman had not seen a doctor since he was a child.
By Malcolm Brand, MD
Cayuga Medical Center has received approval from the New York State Department of Health to offer percutaneous cardiac intervention (PCI). This is a technique for going inside a blocked cardiac artery to remove the blockage and restore the flow of blood to the heart. The ability to offer this procedure at the Cayuga Heart Institute will significantly enhance local cardiac care services.
By Paul Stefek, MD
At the Cayuga Heart Institute we have the local capability to intervene during an acute heart attack to remove the blood clot, open the artery, and restore blood flow to the heart. However, this is only part of the equation in saving the lives of heart-attack patients. The other critical factor is helping people understand their own responsibilities in seeking medical care as quickly as possible in order to save their heart muscle and their lives.
By Qutaybeh Maghaydah, MD, FACC
There have been many advances in the treatment of coronary artery disease and heart attacks in the last three decades. Yet in spite of important new medications, technology, and interventional procedures, heart disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States for both genders. One of the main reasons heart attacks claim so many lives is that the public is still not sufficiently aware of the symptoms of heart attack and the importance of seeking immediate medical help when these symptoms occur.
By Paul Stefek, MD, FACC
In 2015, the PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) program at the Cayuga Heart Institute completed its fourth full year of service. The significance of this service on local cardiac care has been dramatic: the cardiac care team at Cayuga Medical Center has treated more than 170 patients in the throes of an acute heart attack, saving numerous lives and preventing critical damage to their hearts. Many other patients have been diagnosed with significantly narrowed arteries that were successfully opened, resulting in improved quality of life and in many instances preventing heart attacks.
From the Cayuga Heart Institute, Registered Physicians Assistant Tina Ellis explains the efficacy of Novel Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) in treating atrial fibrillation.