What are heart diseases?

The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (aka ischemic heart disease). It is caused by blockage in the heart arteries by building up of fatty plug in the arterial wall as shown in the image.

Other common type of heart diseases that are encountered:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Congestive heart failure
• Narrowing of the heart valves

Why is it so important to understand about heart diseases?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in Afro-Americans and Hispanic ethnic groups in the United States. Roughly about 1 person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from heart disease. About 1 in 4 deaths is caused by heart disease each year. Roughly 18.2 million adults aged 20 and older have heart disease.

In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds.

What are the symptoms of heart disease?

The most common symptom of coronary artery disease/heart disease is chest pain. In medical language it is called angina.

Unfortunately for many patients the first indication that they have coronary artery disease is when they developed heart attack. Symptoms of heart attack are:

• Chest pain or chest discomfort
• Weakness, lightheadedness, nausea, or cold sweats
• Pain or discomfort in the neck, shoulder, or arms
• Shortness of breath

What health conditions increase the risk of heart diseases?

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol levels
• Lifestyle: Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity
• Diabetes mellitus
• Obesity
• Family history of heart disease
• Unhealthy habits such as smoking cigarettes, excess alcohol intake, substance use such as methamphetamine and cocaine

What are the different ways to control common heart diseases?

The above mentioned disease is the no. 1 killer in the United States, therefore it becomes important to treat heart disease appropriately to prevent future complications. Our team will monitor your heart disease at your facility and/or home by making sure the patient is on appropriate heart medications, creating dietary plan appropriate per ethnic or cultural preferences, and refering to the appropriate testing and specialist appointments when needed. Our team will coordinate your complex medical care with other healthcare providers including specialist. We expect that patient keep record of all the recommendations to evaluate himself or herself by next visit and share the changes with our team. Only medically proven dietary plans will be discussed which has been extensively studied in the clinical trials. We do not endorse any commercial diet available in the market. Patient is free to choose any commercially available diet plans for themselves. If patient needs any further medical information on these commercially available products, we recommend having a detailed discussion with our healthcare provider.

What are the complications of untreated or uncontrolled common heart diseases?

Untreated or uncontrolled heart diseases especially coronary artery disease leads to congestive heart failure, irregular heart rhythm and poor exercise tolerance. So, it becomes important to follow-up with physician once you have heart disease to prevent future complications. Our team will help create an appropriate follow-up after you develop heart disease including adjustment of heart medications and planning appropriate precautionary measures to prevent hospitalization.