Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to avoid heart disease?
There are certain risk factors you can't change: age, sex and heredity. Fortunately, there are many factors you can change to lessen the risk of heart disease, including diet, exercise and smoking. Quit smoking if you are a smoker. If you are obese, lose weight. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day five to seven days a week, performing at 40-60 percent of your maximum activity level.
By managing health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, you can also help prevent heart disease. To a lesser extent, keeping your iron intake within maximum recommended daily limits and preventing gum disease will also reduce your risk.
Saint John's personnel are available to answer all of your questions.
How do I know if I'm having a heart attack?
If you are experiencing chest pain, especially if it's accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately by calling 9-1-1. The signs of a heart attack include:
- Chest pain (including pressure, squeezing and fullness in the chest)
- Discomfort or pain traveling to the neck, back, jaw, arms or shoulders
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Numbness or tingling in one or both arms
- Sweating
- Weakness, dizziness or passing out
- Indigestion (heartburn)
Do women suffer the same symptoms as men during a heart attack?
Women can have the same symptoms as men during a heart attack, but may also suffer different symptoms. As a result, many women tend to be mistakenly referred to a gastroenterologist (stomach specialist) or misdiagnosed as suffering from anxiety or hysteria. In women suffering a heart attack, they may experience chest pain or pressure that is often described as a "burning" sensation, rather than a squeezing pain. Women may also feel upper abdominal fullness or pain, instead of pain in the central chest area. Sometimes, they may only feel pain in the arm, the stomach, the back or the jaw, but not in the chest. Or they may not experience any pain, but feel anxious or short of breath. All of these symptoms are cause for concern and medical attention should be sought immediately.
What is angina?
Angina is the medical term for chest pain due to a coronary heart condition known as myocardial ischemia, in which the heart muscle doesn't receive enough blood due to narrowing of the arteries.
What is heart failure?
Heart failure occurs when the heart's ability to pump blood becomes significantly weaker than normal, causing the blood to move through the body at a slower rate. Symptoms of heart failure include rapid or irregular heartbeats; shortness of breath; fluid and water retention (i.e., swelling); weakness, fatigue and dizziness or confusion.
What are the risk factors of heart and coronary artery disease?
The major risk factors for heart disease is high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, age, gender, race and heredity.
What is the difference between "good" and "bad" cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in all body cells. LDL, a low-density lipoprotein found in the blood, is called a "bad" carrier of cholesterol because high levels of LDL may lead to the development of heart disease. Too much LDL in the blood causes plaque to form on artery walls (a process called atherosclerosis), putting you at greater risk of a heart attack. HDL, a high-density lipoprotein, is considered a "good" carrier because HDL particles carry cholesterol from your cells back to your liver, where it can be eliminated from your body. High levels of HDL in the blood are believed to lower your risk of heart disease.
What is high blood pressure and how is it treated?
As your heart pumps blood through the arteries and veins, the blood pushes against the arterial walls and this force is measured as blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is typically 130 over 80. High blood pressure damages blood vessel walls and results from the narrowing of the very small arteries that regulate the blood flow through your body. As these arteries narrow, your heart has to pump harder to move the blood through a smaller space and the pressure inside these arteries begins to increase.
You can help lower your blood pressure by eating a low-fat and low-sodium diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, losing weight and reducing your caffeine intake. If necessary, high blood pressure can also be treated with medication, called antihypertensives.
What is an aneurysm and how is it treated?
An aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge that can occur in blood vessels anywhere in the body. An aneurysm is created when the pressure of blood flowing through a weakened blood vessel forces part of the vessel to bulge outward. They usually form in the brain or the aorta (the main artery of the heart), and are often associated with other types of cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure.
Not all aneurysms are life-threatening, and treatment depends on its size and location. Treatment for aortic aneurysms can include surgery to repair the blood vessel and stop the aneurysm from bursting or cardiac catheterization to permanently implant a stent at the site of the aneurysm. The stent (a small, stainless steel mesh tube) acts as a barrier between the blood and the arterial wall, decreasing pressure on the wall of the weakened artery and preventing it from rupturing or bursting.
What is arrhythmia?
Arrhythmias (also called dysrhythmias) are irregular heartbeats which make the heart pump less effectively, causing the heart rate to be too slow, too fast or erratic. Arrhythmias are caused by a disturbance in the electrical activity that paces your heartbeat. Almost everyone's heart skips a beat now and then, but people suffering from recurrent arrhythmias should be under close medical supervision. Persons with a common arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of stroke (see Heart Diseases & Conditions for more information on arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation).
What is an aortic dissection?
An aortic dissection results when a split occurs in the wall of the aorta, the main artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. A dissection allows blood to flow between the inner and outer layers of the aortic vessel, potentially blocking blood flow to vital organs such as the brain. A dissection also places the aortic wall at increased risk for rupture, creating an acute, life-threatening condition that can only be treated by immediate surgery. A dissection differs from an aortic aneurysm, which is a weak spot in the wall of the aorta and is more common.
What are the warning signs of a stroke?
A stroke is an injury to the brain that occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted or when there is bleeding into or around the brain. This can happen if a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain or neck or if a weakened artery bursts in the brain.
Warning signs include a sudden, temporary weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg; speech difficulty or understanding what others are saying; temporary loss of eyesight, especially in one eye; double vision; unexplained headaches, and temporary dizziness or inability to walk.
Does Saint John's perform open-heart surgery and heart transplants?
Saint John's Heart Institute offers all aspects of surgical treatment of heart disease, including coronary artery bypass surgery, valve repair/replacement and aneurysm repair. Although we do not perform heart transplants, we have an affiliated transplant center.
Will my medical insurance or Medicare cover the cost of cardiac care at Saint John's?
Most insurance plans, including Medicare, cover the cost of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Before treatment, you should check with your insurer to determine what costs, such as deductibles and co-payments, you will be responsible for.
What are the qualifications of the medical staff at Saint John's Heart Institute?
The medical staff includes board-certified cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, all of whom are highly trained and experienced in their fields. All cardiac care nurses are ACLS-certified (advanced cardiac life support) and many hold CCRN (critical care registered nurse) credentials. To learn more about the specific education and qualifications of our physicians, please click here to link to the section on Our Physicians on this website.
Where is Saint John's Heart Institute located?
The Heart Institute, including the surgery center, is currently located in the main hospital. However, the inpatient component has been moved to the second-floor Critical Care Center of Saint John's new state-of-the-art Chan Soon-Shiong Center for Life Sciences which opened in December 2004.
How can I contact the Heart Institute to schedule an appointment?
Our phone number is 310-829-8760 and we can be reached during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to
5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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