Cardiac Diagnostic and Treatment Center

HEART FAILURE:

Many people mistakenly believe that heart failure means that the heart has stopped or is about to stop.  Heart failure simple means that the heart is not pumping blood through the body as well as it should.  As the heart’s pumping action weakens, blood backs up into the blood vessels around the lungs and causes seepage of fluid into the lungs.  The fluid causes congestion and makes it hard to breaths.  Many people with heart failure also have swollen legs and feet.  That is why heart failure is sometimes called congestive heart failure.  From the Heart Failure Society of America, to learn more, click here.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE:

Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) become hardened and narrowed.  The arteries harden and become narrow due to the buildup of plaque on the inner walls or lining of the arteries (atherosclerosis).  Blood flow to the heart is reduced as plaque narrows the coronary arteries.  This decreases the oxygen supply to the heart muscle.  From the National Institutes of Health, to learn more, click here.

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION:

Atrial Fibrillation is a disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans.  In it the heart’s two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver ineffectively.  Blood isn’t pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot.  If a piece of the blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, as stroke results.  About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.  The likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation increases with age.  Three to five percent of people over 65 have atrial fibrillation.  From the American Heart Association, to learn more, click here.

PACEMAKERS:

A pacemaker is a small device that is run by a battery.  It helps the heart beat in a regular rhythm.  Pacemakers can help pace the heart in cases of slow heart  rate, fast and slow heart rate, or a blockage in the heart’s electrical system.  A pacemaker can pace the heart’s upper chambers( the atria), the lower chambers (the ventricles), or both.  Pacemakers may also be used to stop the heart from triggering impulses or from sending extra impulses.  From The Texas Heart Institute, to learn more, click here.