Staying active is essential for the heart and overall health. Regular activity is one of the best ways to make a good recovery once diagnosed or treated for heart disease. But how, and how much?

A regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do for you heart. Being active helps you live longer and reduces the risk of heart disease by 50%. But once you are diagnosed with heart disease, you may be scared and feel uncertain as where do you start? And how much physical activity is healthy and safe?

In this blog we will try to explain why and how even people whose conditions put them at higher risk of cardiac arrest can exercise safely. Even in patients with damaged heart that are causing heart failure, exercise can be important for improving quality of life. But this has to be within reason and care should be taken to avoid worsening the underlying conditions.

What should people consider when exercising with a heart condition?

Most importantly the underlying heart condition should be considered while developing an exercise plan.

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If someone has coronary artery disease (blockage, of the arteries due to cholesterol), then overexercising may cause chest pain and increases the risk from the underlying conditions.

On the other hand, patient with heart rhythm problems, may exercise as much as they wish.

What type of exercise is usually advised? Does it exclude cardio?

Heart disease patients can do cardio exercise and is indeed good for the prognosis. But the intensity of cardio exercise must be tailored and planned by the cardiologist according the patient’s condition.

In general, if your health condition is negatively impacted by exercise, high-intensity or competitive sports should be avoided. Taking a personalized approach from your cardiologist is advised.

What are the warning signs to take care of while exercising?

Key to minimize the risk is to avoid excessively intense exercise or competitive sports. If you or the patients have breathlessness, chest pain, palpitations or dizziness during exercise, one should stop exercising immediately and seek medical from cardiologist nearby.

Wrapping Up…

Physical activity is good for everyone with heart disease and even small amounts are beneficial. The best way to know if you are doing an exercise properly is to “listen to your body” and notice any warning signs as mentioned above. We hope these guidelines & tips will help heart patients and their health professionals choose the best and most enjoyable activities for them.

An enlargement of the aorta, the main blood vessel that delivers blood to the body, at the level of the abdomen. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can be life-threatening if it bursts.

What is an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)?

The word “aneurysm” is borrowed from the Greek “aneurysma” meaning “a widening.” So basically, aortic aneurysm is a dilation or bulging of the aorta.

And it is called an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) when it happens in the part of the aorta that’s in your abdomen. AAA doesn’t always cause problems but a ruptured aneurysm can be life-threatening.

If you are diagnosed with AAA, your doctor will probably want to monitor it closely even if it doesn’t intervene directly. Depending on the size of the aneurysm and its growth rate, the treatment option varies from watchful waiting to an emergency surgery.

Let us learn more about this condition in detail, from the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options.

Causes of abdominal aortic aneurysm

Exact cause of AAA is unknown but certain factors do increase the risk for them. They include:

Smoking – as it directly damages the artery and making them more likely to bulge.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) – as it weakens the walls of your aorta.
Vascular inflammation (vasculitis) – serious inflammation within the aorta and other arteries can occasionally cause AAAs.

Who is at risk for an AAA

Abdominal aortic aneurysm risk factors increases, if you:

• are male
• are obese
• are over age 60
• have a family history of heart conditions
• have high cholesterol
• live a sedentary lifestyle
• smoke tobacco products
• have had trauma to your abdomen

Symptoms of an abdominal aortic aneurysm

Most aneurysm has no symptoms unless they rupture. If it ruptures you may experience following symptoms:

• Deep, constant pain in the belly area or side of the belly (abdomen)
• Pain spreading from abdomen to your pelvis, legs and buttocks area
• Sweaty skin
• Increased heart rate
• Loss of consciousness
• A pulse near the bellybutton

How it is diagnosed

Unruptured AAs are often diagnosed when your doctor is examining your abdomen for other reasons. If your doctor suspects AAA, they may also check the blood flow in your legs or use one of the following tests:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• CT scan of the abdomen
• Chest X-ray
• MRI of the abdomen

Treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm

As said earlier, depending on the size of the aneurysm and its growth rate, the treatment option varies from watchful waiting to an emergency surgery.

Depending on the exact location of the aortic aneurysm, your doctor may perform surgery to repair or remove the damaged tissue. Surgery may be done with:

Open abdominal surgery – a more invasive surgery & has a longer recovery time. It is necessary if the aneurysm is very large.

Endovascular surgery – a less invasive surgery & it uses a graft to stabilize the weekend walls of the aorta.

SEE MORE: EVAR (abdominar EndoVascular Aneurysm/Aortic Repair) and TEVAR (Thoracic EndoVascular Aneurysm/Aortic Repair)

Ending note…

AAA can be prevented by focusing on your heart health. Watch what you eat, do regular exercise and avoid every cardiovascular disease risk factors. Your doctor may suggest to screen you for an AAA when you turn 65 if you’re at a higher risk due to smoking and other factors.

More and more people are becoming obese which is not healthy. The prevalence of obesity continues to climb nationwide, as does the prevalence of heart diseases requiring heart surgery. Generally the BMI indicates if you are obese or overweight.

People who are obese and overweight are going to face severe chronic illness or stress. They are also at an increased risk for diabetes, kidney disease, heart diseases and heart failure. The fact is approximately, 35%-40% of patients requiring heart disease treatments or a heart attacks are suffering from obesity and overweight.

Moreover, excess body weight can pose risk not only before heart surgery, but it can pose additional problems even after a heart surgery or any cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatments.

SEE ALSO: What Happens After a Heart Attack?

How does excess body weight pose risk?

Obesity related medical conditions like kidney diseases, arthritis, heart diseases and conditions, sleep apnea, etc. limits your ability to engage in activities required before and after a major heart surgery. It also prolongs the recovery process and regaining the normal regular routines.

Moreover, most heart disease treatments are anecdotally more difficult and riskier to perform on patients with obesity. What affects is the life after a heart surgery for the patients with obesity and overweight.

Excessive weight is associated with number of complications after a heart conditions treatments and are worth discussing with your cardiologist. The complications may include:

• Prolonged time requiring mechanical ventilation (breathing machine)
• Pneumonia
• Reduced kidney function or kidney failure
• Poor wound healing
• Slow recovery
• Sternal (breastbone) wound infection

Collectively, these complications generally increase your hospital stay slightly.

What can be done about it?

The best strategy for any critical issues like these is prevention. You should have a clear understanding about these complications with your heart disease specialist, to guide you optimizing your health before and after any treatments. We have collected a few questions or concerns you should ask your cardiologist. Questions/concerns may include:

• What kind of exercise is safe for me before getting treatment for heart disease?
• Are there any specific activities or breathing exercises, I should prefer doing before surgery, to reduce any complications?
• Are there any unique things I should watch out for immediately after treatments or after I leave the hospital?
• When can I begin to exercise post heart surgery?
• What exercises I should do to reduce my weight, also good for your heart health?
• Being a diabetic or pre-diabetic, how can I control my blood sugar level?

If you have specific goals planned after your operation, don’t hesitate to discuss them with your cardiologist. Note down everything so that you can remember every important information that your consultant shares with you.

Ending Note…

Post-operative follow is very crucial for patients with obesity and overweight. This allows the medical team to ensure if you are healing appropriately and taking your medications correctly. It will also help them understand whether you are staying on the right track toward a healthier life.

Life after a major heart disease recovery could be physically and psychologically stressful, but setting up goals and following the advices properly can help you stay motivated toward progress. Your ultimate goal should be to reduce your weight.

Have any questions regarding, post heart disease treatments and care? Talk to us or drop us a message.

The human body is like a well-oiled machine. The heart has one of the most important functions in the machine — pumping blood throughout the body. This process is called circulation.

There are many different types of heart disease, and heart valve disease is one of the most common. Fortunately, valve disease is treatable — when found in its early stages.

The anatomy of the heart

In order to understand the heart valve disease, it is important to have a basic idea of different parts of the heart. Consider below image:

The heart has four chambers.  Atria – two small chambers at the top of the heart & Ventricles – larger chambers at the lower part of the heart. The bottom ventricles have valves with flaps that work like doors, opening and closing to allow blood flow throughout the heart and the rest of the body.

Valve disease can be sneaky
Valve disease can get worse over time if left untreated. It sometimes can be mistaken for something else. For example, a person with lung diseases can have a shortness of breath. However this might be a sign of valve disease as well.

Physicians can detect heart valve issues if they notice a heart murmur. Again not all murmurs are from valve disease. Echocardiography is the best way to detect the valve disease.

Types of valve disease

Regurgitation – Blood flows in the wrong direction, leaking backward through a valve.

Stenosis – A valve narrows and won’t open enough, not allowing enough blood to flow.

Valve prolapse – It occurs when the flaps are too weak and cannot close tightly. This type of disease only affects the mitral valve.

Who gets it

Some people are born with a predisposition having weak leaflets, which causes leakage of the valves. Stenosis is more to occur with age.

Problems that cause valve disease:

• Infection of the valves
• Calcium and other deposit can stiffen the flaps of valves
• Heart attack, heart failure or build-up of plaque (atherosclerosis) inside the arteries

Other risk factors include:

• coronary artery disease
• family history
• radiation therapy
• some diet medicines
• certain autoimmune disorders including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis

What it feels like

Many people with heart valve disease don’t have symptoms during the early stages. But early treatment is very important.

Common signs and symptoms include:

• a heart murmur
• shortness of breath, especially after being active or when lying flat in bed
• unusual fatigue
• dizziness or fainting
• heart palpitations
• swelling in ankles, feet or belly

Since early treatment is highly important for heart valve diseases, if you suspect there is something wrong, talk with your doctor.

Diagnosis and treatment of heart valve disease

Your cardiologist can tell if you have valve disease by taking certain physical exams such as:

• listening to your heart to hear the sounds the heart makes as the valves open and close – a murmur
• checking if the heart rhythm is irregular – arrhythmia
• listen to your lungs to hear if you are retaining fluid in your lungs, which shows your heart is not able to pump as well as it should

After physical examinations, the doctor may order diagnostic tests. These may include:

• Echocardiography
• Transesophageal echocardiography
• Cardiac catheterization (also called an angiogram)
• Radionuclide scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment for heart valve disease depends on the type and severity of valve disease. There are three goals of treatment for heart valve disease: protecting your valve from further damage; lessening symptoms; and repairing or replacing valves.

Medications. You may be prescribed medications to treat your symptoms and to lessen the chance of further valve damage.

Surgery and Other Procedures. Heart valves may also be repaired by other procedures such as percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty. Valves can be repaired or replaced with traditional heart valve surgery or a minimally invasive heart valve surgical procedure.

If you think you have heart valve disease, make an appointment to see your cardiologist.

If your cardiologist or primary care doctor has ordered an echocardiogram, don’t get frightened – it’s not as intimidating as it might sound. Called an “echo test” for short, it’s a painless test that’s noninvasive and doesn’t use ionizing radiation.

This test help cardiologist to diagnose and treat the heart disease accurately. We have gathered few frequently asked questions.

Need consulting for echo test in Ahmedabad? Contact us.

Pacemakers and ICDs generally last 8 to 10 years or longer, depending on usage and the type of device. In most cases, patient can live a normal and healthy life with a pacemaker or ICD implanted.

Technological advances have reduced the chances that machines, like microwave, could interfere your device. Even though you should take certain precautions if you have an implanted device.

What precautions should I take with my pacemaker or ICD?

It is generally safe to go through airport security scan with the ICD & CRT implantation and won’t damage the device. But you need to tell the security about the pacemaker or ICD. Also remind the security, not to hold the hand-held metal-detecting wand over the pacemaker for more than a second or two. This is because the magnet inside the wand may temporarily change the operating mode of your device.

Most current pacemakers and ICD companies now make devices that can go through an MRI after a waiting for at least 6 weeks after implant. But some older devices may not be. Check if it is OK to get an MRI with your type of device.

Stay away from certain high voltage or radar machines such as TV transmitters, radio, high tension wires, etc.

Don’t carry your cellphone in your breast pocket and keep them at least 6 inches away from your device.

Some surgery or even dental operations require that your ICD be temporarily turned off or set to a special mode. So tell them in prior.

Therapeutic radiation used for cancer treatments can damage the circuits in your device. The risk increases with increased radiation doses. Take precautions.

Can I do regular daily activities with a pacemaker or ICD?

Once the device has been implanted, you are allowed to do the same activities everyone else of your age group is doing. You may be limited with activities while the incision is healing.

You may still be able to do the following:

• Regular exercise on your cardiologist’s advice
• Drive your car if cleared by your doctor
• Go to office
• Do the sports and recreational activities
• Take shower and baths
• Continue sexual relationships

Symptoms of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

After ICD implantation, you may feel anxious or depressed. This is not uncommon for ICD recipients, especially in the first months or year after implantation. Unfortunately, it is uncommon for patients to seek help for their anxiety and depression. If you experience these feelings, or even anticipate them, consult with your doctor or healthcare team and get help.

More about the ICD & CRT Implantations. For any consultation, contact us.

Peripheral artery disease (also called peripheral arterial disease) is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs. Let us know in detail from the best heart specialist doctor in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

When you develop peripheral artery disease (PAD), your extremities — usually your legs — don’t receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand. This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain when walking (claudication).

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

• Legs tire but improve with rest
• Leg cramps
• Can’t walk far
• Wounds don’t heal

IF YOU HAVE PAD YOU ARE AT A HIGHER RISK FOR

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Limb loss

SEE MORE: Leg Pain While You Walk? Never Ignore It

PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE (PAD)TREATMENT

Treatment for peripheral artery disease has two major goals:

• Manage symptoms, such as leg pain, so that you can resume physical activities
• Stop the progression of atherosclerosis throughout your body to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke

Medications:

• Cholesterol-lowering medications
• High blood pressure medications
• Medication to control blood sugar
• Medications to prevent blood clots
• Symptom-relief medications

In some cases, angioplasty or surgery may be necessary to treat peripheral artery disease that’s causing claudication.

Still having concerns about your heart? Talk to the best heart specialist in Ahmedabad. Drop us a message or give us a call.

A coronary angiogram is a procedure that uses X-ray imaging to see your heart’s blood vessels. The test is generally done to see if there’s a restriction in blood flow going to the heart.

Why is Coronary Angiogram needed?
Your doctor may recommend that you have a coronary angiogram if you have:

• Symptoms of coronary artery disease, such as chest pain (angina)
• Pain in your chest, jaw, neck or arm that can’t be explained by other tests
• New or increasing chest pain (unstable angina)
• A heart defect you were born with (congenital heart disease)
• Abnormal results on a non-invasive heart stress test
• Other blood vessel problems or a chest injury
• A heart valve problem that requires surgery

Walking is considered as one of the best exercise for a better health. But what if your leg causes pain, which is not a part of your aging?

Many people ignore the leg pain as a normal sign of aging. Sometimes you may think it’s arthritis, sciatica or just “stiffness” from getting older. In some cases, it is the sign of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), putting your heart and brain health at greater risk.

While PAD doesn’t usually run in families, it occurs due to various reasons like aging, smoking, having high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. If you have any of the risk factors for PAD, you should ask your doctor about PAD even if you aren’t having symptoms yet.

What causes leg pain when you have PAD?

People with PAD have fatty deposits in the arteries outside the heart, usually in their legs. When these deposits block blood flow to the muscles, impairing their ability to work properly, it causes pain.

Initially it was thought that PAD occurs mostly in men, but later study found that the condition is just as common in women affecting one in every 10 women over age 50. [Source: Harvard Health Publishing]

Symptoms of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Leg pain is a very common symptom of having PAD, but not everyone has the same symptoms. Some may experience just weakness without any pain or cramping in leg. Yes, it has the same pattern that is worsening with exercise or movements and easing with the rest.

In some cases, people notice other changes such as:

• Slow healing sores on the feet
• Coldness in one of both feet
• Slow or poor growth of toenails or leg hair
• Gangrene, or dead tissue
• Leg pain that does not go away when you stop exercising

Why you can’t ignore the leg pain while walking

Of course PAD is not the only reason of leg pain, but it’s important to consider at the same time. Having PAD increases your risk of other cardiovascular diseases. This makes a person with PAD far more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke than someone without the condition.

If your doctor suspects you have PAD, you might want to follow up with a peripheral angiography, which uses MRI or x-rays to take images of your arteries to look for blockages.

Treating PAD with lifestyle changes and more…

PAD treatment always starts with a healthy lifestyle that includes avoid smoking and other tobacco products, regular exercise, healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and consuming healthy fats.

One of the most important is ignoring the leg pain thinking it as a part of getting old. That’s exactly what you should not do. Talk to your doctor immediately and find out why it occurring.

In addition to lifestyle changes, your doctor may also prescribe some medications to treat PAD. Most common drugs prescribed for people with PAD are to keep more fatty deposits (plaque) from accumulating, preventing blood clots and controlling high blood pressure.

If you are diagnosed with severe blockage, your doctor may also recommend a procedure to clear the blockage or to reroute blood flow around it. Always remember, “the longer you wait, the harder it is to treat.”

OVERVIEW

Coronary angioplasty, also known as percutaneous coronary intervention, is a procedure to open clogged heart arteries. This procedure involves inserting and inflating a tiny balloon, exactly at the place where your artery is clogged, to widen the artery.

Angioplasty is often combined with the permanent placement of stent (a small wire mesh tube), to prop the artery open and decrease its chance of narrowing again. This procedure or treatment can improve symptoms of blocked arteries, such as chest pain and shortness of breath. This helps quickly open a blocked artery and reduce the amount of damage to your heart.

WHY IS IT DONE?

Angioplasty treats atherosclerosis (slow build-up of fatty plaques in your heart’s blood vessels). Your cardiologist may suggest angioplasty as treatment when medications or lifestyle changes are no more enough to improve your heart health.

Again angioplasty is not for everyone. If the main artery is narrow or heart muscle is weak, then coronary artery bypass surgery may be a better option than angioplasty. Also if you are diabetic or have multiple blockages, angioplasty is not a treatment option for you.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT DURING ANGIOPLASTY

Angioplasty is performed by a cardiologist (heart specialist) and a team of specialized cardiovascular nurses and technicians in a special operating room called a cardiac catheterization laboratory. This room is often called the cath lab.

A very small incision is made on the skin over a blood vessel in the leg, arm or wrist. Catheter (thin tube) is threaded through the incision and the procedure is performed. It may take up to several hours based on number of blockages and any other complications.

Very commonly angioplasty is performed through an artery in your groin. Before the procedure the area is prepared with an antiseptic solution and a sterile sheet is placed over your body. Small electrode pads are placed on your chest to monitor your heart during the procedure. You’ll be sedated but awake during the entire procedure. You’ll receive fluids, medications to relax you and blood-thinning medications through an IV catheter.

STENT PLACEMENT

Most people who have angioplasty, will also have a stent placed in their blocked artery. The stent placed inside the artery supports the walls of artery and prevent from narrowing again.

After your stent placement, you may need prolonged treatment with medications, to reduce the chance of blood clots forming on the stent.

RESULTS – AFTER ANGIOPLASTY

Angioplasty with stent increases the blood flow through previously blocked artery. Your chest pain decreases gradually. Having angioplasty and stenting doesn’t mean your heart disease goes away permanently. You will have to strictly follow a healthy lifestyle and take proper medications as prescribed by your cardiologist.

A healthy lifestyle continuity will help you live a life normal and very soon you may be able to return to your routine. There are certain things that needs to be followed very strictly after angioplasty, such as:

• Quit smoking
• Lower your cholesterol levels
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Control other conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure
• Get regular exercise

A successful angioplasty means you might not have to undergo a coronary artery bypass surgery. If any time your symptoms returns with chest pain or shortness of breath or any other symptoms you had earlier, contact your cardiologist immediately.