What You Can Do to Control Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), sometimes also referred to as peripheral arterial disease, is a term applied to a variety of problems relating to the circulation of blood throughout the body. Blood brings fresh oxygen to all our muscles and tissues with every heartbeat, and if the movement of the blood to and from the heart is impaired, the tissues suffer from oxygen deprivation. Here is the information you need about the causes of PVD and what you can do to control or prevent it: Causes of peripheral vascular disease Most often, PVD originates with a narrowing of blood vessels, due to the buildup of plaque (fatty deposits) on the inside…

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What Is Cardiac Electrophysiology?

As the most important muscle in the human body, the heart is a complicated structure to understand and treat.  After completing an internal medicine residency, cardiologists spend an additional three or four years in a fellowship program to specialize in prevention and treatment of heart conditions.  Within the field of cardiology, some heart doctors specialize even further to become experts in cardiac electrophysiology.     What Is Cardiac Electrophysiology? All of the heart’s activities are controlled by electrical impulses.  An area called the sinoatrial node generates an electrical impulse that stimulates the rest of the heart muscle to rhythmically contract.  Problems with the electrical system in the heart may contribute…

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Interventional Cardiology: New Approaches That Could Save Your Life

What do you think of when you think about cardiology? Do you think about preventing heart disease and managing your cholesterol levels? Maybe you think not about prevention, but about emergency treatment for cardiac disease. You might imagine heart doctors in an operating room performing a triple bypass on a patient. These are both well within the realm of cardiologists, but there is a vast expanse in between the beginning stages of heart disease and the need for emergency care in a hospital. Interventional cardiology is a new direction within the field of cardiology. A cardiac specialist in this field can provide numerous options to improve your heart health without…

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The Link Between Pneumonia Hospitalization and Cardiovascular Disease

Your risk for cardiovascular disease is higher if you have been hospitalized for pneumonia, according to a new study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). Researchers from Ottawa Hospital Research Institute found that people who have been hospitalized for the breathing problem face a higher risk for heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease, sometimes called cardiac disease or heart disease, is a group of conditions affecting either the heart or the blood vessels, or both. Types of cardiovascular diseases include: Coronary heart disease, caused by buildup of plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the heart Peripheral artery disease, with plaque buildup in the arteries…

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Congratulations to Tri-City Cardiology’s 2015 Top Docs Award Recipients

Congratulations to Tri-City Cardiology’s 2015 Top Docs Award Recipients Tri-City Cardiology is proud to recognize our physicians that have been awarded Top Doc honors from Phoenix Magazine. A Top Doc designation is based on recommendations from other local doctors who nominate a physician whom they feel excels within his or her area of expertise. We are thrilled to have outstanding physicians that are recognized by fellow physicians, for their dedication to patient care. Congratulations to Tri-City Cardiology’s 2015 Top Docs award recipients: Edward Perlstein, M.D.   Thomas A. Ritchie, M.D.   James J. Del Giorno, M.D.   Kai Sung, M.D.     Tri-City Cardiology Physicians have been recognized in the…

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When to Visit a Heart Doctor

Heart problems are nothing to ignore. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Thus, it is extremely important to be on the lookout for heart-related symptoms. Common Symptoms of Heart Problems Many different symptoms can indicate a problem with the heart. However, some of the most common symptoms experienced by heart patients include: Chest pain Pain that radiates down the arm, to the back and/or into the jaw Heaviness or pressure in the chest Heart palpitations Shortness of breath Nausea Sweating Fast heartrate Weakness Dizziness If you experience extreme symptoms and/or symptoms that last for more…

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6 Steps to Better Heart Health

February is American Heart Month, so we’re offering you a list of the top six things you can do to help ensure your heart stays as healthy as possible. Ready? Read on! Stop smoking. Yep, you’ve heard it before, and you’re hearing it again. That’s because smoking has such a major negative impact on your heart health. When you smoke, you flood your body with chemicals that can harm your blood cells and your blood vessels. Smoking increases the likelihood that you’ll develop plaque, a waxy substance that builds up in your vessels and interferes with blood flow. That means your heart can’t get the oxygen and other minerals it need…

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Signs That You Have Found the Right Cardiologist for You

Your heart is unbelievably hardworking. It will probably beat two or three billion times in your lifetime, keeping you alive by allowing your blood to deliver essential oxygen to the cells in your body. Without your heart, you would die. So when you need a cardiac specialist, you need to be serious about it. That may be easier said than done, since the task of choosing a cardiologist is not easy. When you are looking for Arizona cardiovascular treatment, you have many options. These are some signs to look for so you can tell when you have found the right cardiologist for your heart care. The cardiologist has a good…

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Causes of Heart Disease – What You Need to Know

Heart disease begins when there is damage to the inner layers and the lining of the heart’s arteries. Causes of heart disease include: Smoking (includes secondhand) Increased amounts of sugar due to diabetes Particular kinds of fats in the blood (high cholesterol) Inactivity Poor hygiene Age Hypertension (high blood pressure) Obesity Genetics Poor diet Stress Gender – men are typically at a greater risk of suffering with CHD; however, a woman’s risk increases after menopause Inflammation of the Blood Vessels When damage occurs to the arteries, plaque can begin building up. This buildup can even begin during childhood. As time passes, this plaque can solidify or rupture. Hardened Plaque This…

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Medical Cardiology and What It Might Mean for You

Medical Cardiology and What It Might Mean for You Medical cardiology is the branch of medicine dealing with the heart. It is an incredibly important branch of medicine, given that one out of every four Americans will die of heart disease. Over 70 million Americans have high cholesterol, putting them at risk for cardiac disease, cardiac arrest, and stroke. With that in mind, you may be a little more interested in learning about medical cardiology. This field can get you back on your feet if you have already had a cardiac arrest or other heart event, and it can prevent such events from happening if you currently just have risk…

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