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Logo for Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates, a LifeBridge Health Medical Group, featuring a blue abstract heart design to the left of the clinic name in blue text.

Do You ❤ Your Dog?

Photo of a dog wearing a stethoscope.

Your dog ❤s you!

Dog’s lives are often too short, but recent studies suggest that they might add years to the life of their owner. Two studies published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a scientific journal of the American Heart Association, suggest that when we interact with dogs, our body releases oxytocin, which can reduce levels of stress hormones, lower blood pressure, and provide other cardiovascular benefits.

The studies, Dog Ownership and Survival After a Major Cardiovascular Event, and Dog Ownership and Survival, indicate that dog-ownership may be linked to a 21% reduction in the risk of death for people with heart disease. Owning a dog can lead to an increase in physical activity, improved physiological parameters, including a lowering of systolic blood pressure and resting heart rate, and improved mental well-being. These, in turn, lead to improved cardiovascular outcomes.

According to the American Heart Association, other studies have also shown an association between pet ownership and heart health. In a study of adults over 60, pet owners had significantly lower triglyceride levels and lower blood pressure than nonowners. Dog owners, in particular, were shown to engage in more physical activity and walking than nonowners and were more likely to achieve recommended levels of exercise. In addition to the physical benefits, the AHA suggests that pet ownership provides nonhuman social support that may have cardioprotective benefits to patients with cardiovascular disease.

Do you have a question about heart-health,  Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates, or our services? Please feel free to contact us at 410-469-4000 or drop us a note.

What Are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

Senior man holding his chest and feeling pain suffering from heart attack.Heart Attack Symptoms

Not all heart attacks begin with the sudden, crushing chest pain that often is shown on TV or in the movies. In one study, for example, one-third of the patients who had heart attacks had no chest pain. These patients were more likely to be older, female, or diabetic.

The symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to person. Some people can have few symptoms and are surprised to learn they’ve had a heart attack. If you’ve already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. It is important for you to know the most common symptoms of a heart attack and also remember these facts:

  • Heart attacks can start slowly and cause only mild pain or discomfort. Symptoms can be mild or more intense and sudden. Symptoms also may come and go over several hours.
  • People who have high blood sugar (diabetes) may have no symptoms or very mild ones.
  • The most common symptom, in both men and women, is chest pain or discomfort.
  • Women are somewhat more likely to have shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, unusual tiredness (sometimes for days), and pain in the back, shoulders, and jaw.

Some people don’t have symptoms at all. Heart attacks that occur without any symptoms or with very mild symptoms are called silent heart attacks.

Most Common Symptoms

The most common warning symptoms of a heart attack for both men and women are:

  • Chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion. The feeling can be mild or severe.
  • Upper body discomfort. You may feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach (above the belly button).
  • Shortness of breath. This may be your only symptom, or it may occur before or along with chest pain or discomfort. It can occur when you are resting or doing a little bit of physical activity.

The symptoms of angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) can be similar to the symptoms of heart attacks. Angina is chest pain that occurs in people who have ischemic heart disease, usually when they’re active. Angina pain usually lasts for only a few minutes and goes away with rest.

Chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away or changes from its usual pattern (for example, occurs more often or while you’re resting) can be a sign of a heart attack.

All chest pain should be checked by a doctor.

Other Common Signs and Symptoms

Pay attention to these other possible symptoms of a heart attack:

  • Breaking out in a cold sweat
  • Feeling unusually tired for no reason, sometimes for days (especially if you are a woman)
  • Nausea (feeling sick to the stomach) and vomiting
  • Light-headedness or sudden dizziness
  • Any sudden, new symptoms or a change in the pattern of symptoms you already have (for example, if your symptoms become stronger or last longer than usual)

Not everyone having a heart attack has typical symptoms. If you’ve already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. However, some people may have a pattern of symptoms that recur.

The more signs and symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you’re having a heart attack.

Quick Action Can Save Your Life: Call 9–1–1

The signs and symptoms of a heart attack can develop suddenly. However, they also can develop slowly—sometimes within hours, days, or weeks of a heart attack.

Any time you think you might be having heart attack symptoms or a heart attack, don’t ignore it or feel embarrassed to call for help. Call 9–1–1 for emergency medical care, even if you are not sure whether you’re having a heart attack. Here’s why:

  • Acting fast can save your life.
  • An ambulance is the best and safest way to get to the hospital. Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel can check how you are doing and start life-saving medicines and other treatments right away. People who arrive by ambulance often receive faster treatment at the hospital.
  • The 9–1–1 operator or EMS technician can give you advice. You might be told to crush or chew an aspirin if you’re not allergic, unless there is a medical reason for you not to take one. Aspirin taken during a heart attack can limit the damage to your heart and save your life.

Every minute matters. Never delay calling 9–1–1 to take aspirin or do anything else you think might help.

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/4280
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Captured Date: 2016-03-15 20:20:00.0

Living with the DASH Eating Plan

Understanding the DASH eating plan will help you start and follow this plan for life.

Notepad with Diet Plan list text on chopping board.

Controlling Daily Sodium and Calories

To benefit from the proven DASH eating plan, it is important to limit daily sodium levels to 2,300 mg, or 1,500 mg if desired, and to consume the appropriate amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if needed.

Ways to Control Sodium Levels

The key to lowering your sodium intake is to make healthier food choices when you’re shopping, cooking, and eating out.

Tips for Lowering Sodium When Shopping, Cooking, and Eating Out

Shopping Cooking Eating Out
  • Read food labels, and choose items that are lower in sodium and salt, particularly for convenience foods and condiments.*
  • Choose fresh poultry, fish, and lean meats instead of cured food such as bacon and ham.
  • Choose fresh or frozen versus canned fruits and vegetables.
  • Avoid food with added salt, such as pickles, pickled vegetables, olives, and sauerkraut.
  • Avoid instant or flavored rice and pasta.
  • Don’t add salt when cooking rice, pasta, and hot cereals.
  • Flavor your foods with salt-free seasoning blends, fresh or dried herbs and spices, or fresh lemon or lime juice.
  • Rinse canned foods or foods soaked in brine before using to remove the sodium.
  • Use less table salt to flavor food.
  • Ask that foods be prepared without added salt or MSG, commonly used in Asian foods.
  • Avoid choosing menu items that have salty ingredients such as bacon, pickles, olives, and cheese.
  • Avoid choosing menu items that include foods that are pickled, cured, smoked, or made with soy sauce or broth.
  • Choose fruit or vegetables as a side dish, instead of chips or fries.

*Examples of convenience foods are frozen dinners, prepackaged foods, and soups; examples of condiments are mustard, ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, and salad dressings.

Most of the sodium Americans eat comes from processed and prepared foods, such as breads, cold cuts, pizza, poultry, soups, sandwiches and burgers, cheese, pasta and meat dishes, and salty snacks. Therefore, healthier choices when shopping and eating out are particularly important.

Ways to Control Calories

To benefit from the DASH eating plan, it is important to consume the appropriate amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight. To help, read nutrition labels on food, and plan for success with DASH eating plan sample menus and other heart-healthy recipes.

The DASH eating plan can be used to help you lose weight. To lose weight, follow the DASH eating plan and try to reduce your total daily calories gradually. Find out your daily calorie needs or goals with the Body Weight Plannerand calorie chart. Talk with your doctor before beginning any diet or eating plan.

General tips for reducing daily calories include:

  • Eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day.
  • Reduce the amount of meat that you eat while increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or dry beans.
  • Substitute low-calorie foods, such as when snacking (choose fruits or vegetables instead of sweets and desserts) or drinking (choose water instead of soda or juice), when possible.

Increasing Daily Potassium

The DASH eating plan is designed to be rich in potassium, with a target of 4,700 mg potassium daily, to enhance the effects of reducing sodium on blood pressure. The following are examples of potassium-rich foods.

Sample Foods and Potassium Levels

Food Potassium (mg)
Potato, 1 small 738
Plain yogurt, nonfat or low-fat, 8 ounces 530–570
Sweet potato, 1 medium 542
Orange juice, fresh, 1 cup 496
Lima beans, ½ cup 478
Soybeans, cooked, ½ cup 443
Banana, 1 medium 422
Fish (cod, halibut, rockfish, trout, tuna), 3 ounces 200–400
Tomato sauce, ½ cup 405
Prunes, stewed, ½ cup 398
Skim milk, 1 cup 382
Apricots, ¼ cup 378
Pinto beans, cooked, ½ cup 373
Pork tenderloin, 3 ounces 371
Lentils, cooked, ½ cup 365
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup 360
Split peas, cooked, ½ cup 360
Almonds, roasted, ⅓ cup 310

Meal Planning and Tips

NHLBI meal planning tools and tips can help you follow the DASH eating plan to meet nutritional goals.

Meal Planning Tools

The following tools can help you prepare and choose meals that meet the nutritional goals of the DASH eating plan.

Tips for Lifelong Success

When changing lifestyle habits, it is normal to slip off track occasionally. Follow these tips to get you back on track.

  • Ask yourself why you got off track. Find out what triggered your sidetrack, and restart the DASH eating plan.
  • Don’t worry about a slip. Everyone slips, especially when learning something new. Remember that changing your lifestyle is a long-term process.
  • Don’t change too much at once. When starting a new lifestyle, try to avoid changing too much at once. Slow changes lead to success.
  • Break down the process. Break goals into smaller, simpler steps, each of which is attainable.
  • Write it down. Use the Daily DASH Log to keep track of what you eat and what you’re doing while you are eating. You may find that you eat unhealthy foods while watching television. If so, you could start keeping a healthier substitute snack on hand.
  • Celebrate success. Instead of eating out to celebrate your accomplishments, try a night at the movies, go shopping, visit the library or bookstore, or watch your favorite TV show.
Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/3791
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Woodholme encourages a healthy diet and proper nutrition as one aspect of maintaining heart health. The nutrition information and recipes are presented for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of one-on-one advice from your doctor. Please follow your personal physician’s recommendations if any recipes, ingredients, or advice found here conflict with what your doctor has advised.

Can I Prevent Heart Disease by Taking Aspirin?

Many of our patients have asked us about recent studies that have come out in the medical journals and have been summarized in the lay concerned as to whether aspirin is safe and whether they should be taking it.  This new information is not only confusing to  patients but even for doctors.  This New York Times Editorial also may help. Click here for the Aspirin Article

In short, any patient who has had a heart attack, stroke, stent, or bypass, should remain on aspirin.

It may help to understand the 2 terms that clarify the issue.  The the two terms are : Primary prevention and secondary prevention.

Primary prevention simply means a strategy  of preventing a specific problem if one does  not already have a  problem but are at risk for a problem…  An example is if someone is worried that they are at risk of having a heart attack because their father had a heart problem, primary prevention would mean what could that person do to prevent their own heart problem.

Secondary prevention refers to people who already have a condition and want to prevent a recurrence.  Someone who has a stent or who has had a heart attack wants to prevent further problems.  That is called secondary prevention.

The question of secondary prevention regarding aspirin has already been solved.  If someone has a history of coronary heart disease (had a stent, heart attack, angina), peripheral vascular disease, or prior stroke, they should be on aspirin unless they are allergic to it.

These new studies address the issue of  primary prevention: that is can you prevent heart disease if you don’t already have it  by taking aspirin.  The answer seems to be NO, even if you have diabetes or a family history of heart disease.  If you do not have a personal history of heart disease, stroke or peripheral artery disease you should probably not be on aspirin.  Even though we are talking about baby aspirin, this medicine is not harmless and these studies show that you are much more likely to bleed than get any benefit from the therapy.

Though you should talk to your doctor,  in summary: if you have a vascular problem (history of stroke, heart attack, stent, or peripheral vascular disease), stay on aspirin; but if you have none of these conditions, you no longer need to be on aspirin.

Is there anything you can do to prevent heart disease if aspirin is no longer recommended?  The answer is YES.

You can exercise; If you smoke, stop.  If your blood pressure is high, control it.  If you have diabetes, control your sugar.  If you have very high cholesterol consider a statin.

PLEASE DISCUSS THESE ISSUES WITH YOUR DOCTOR OR WITH ONE OF US, and  we hope this new information helps you understand this very important issue.

Welcome, Dr. Ambereen Quraishi

Photo of Dr. Ambereen Quraishi We’re excited to announce that Dr. Ambereen Quraishi will soon be joining the Woodholme team, serving patients from our new Lutherville-Timonium location! Dr. Quraishi received her medical degree from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York in 2001. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and also served as Chief Resident at Mt. Auburn Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2005. She then completed her Cardiology Fellowship at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center/ Tufts University School of Medicine in 2008.

Ambereen M. Quraishi, M.D., is board certified in Cardiology, Echocardiography and Nuclear Cardiology.

Dr. Quraishi’s areas of interest include preventive heart disease with a focus on lifestyle modification, women’s heart health and noninvasive imaging/echocardiography.

Dr. Ambereen Quraishi

  • Medical Degree – Albany Medical College
  • Residency – Mt. Auburn Hospital/Harvard Medical School
  • Fellowship – St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center/ Tufts University School of Medicine

With locations in Pikesville, Ellicott City, and Westminster, and a new office opening in the Towson/Lutherville-Timonium area of Baltimore County, Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates provides comprehensive consultative and preventive care services throughout the greater Baltimore, MD.

New Woodholme Location Opening Soon

York Place Building, Suite 30A
1205 York Road
Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093

Do Heart Rate Phone Apps Really Work?

Man using heart rate phone apps and fitness watch.

Advances in mobile and digital technologies mean that more people now have access to real-time health information in the palms of their hands. Depending upon how they are used these tools can be both a blessing and a curse. To the extent that more people are taking an active interest in their health and becoming more encouraged to get up and move, heart rate apps can be a good thing. On the other hand, overreliance on technology and self-diagnoses can be dangerous.

Convenience

Heart rate apps can be a convenient way to keep track of your heart rate when at rest, walking, or exercising, with measurements for heart rate zones such as peak, cardio, fat burn, and warm-up. They can also provide you with information to share with your doctor during regular visits.

How Heart Rate Apps Work

Phone-based heart rate apps work by using your phone’s camera and lights to detect your heartbeat. When you place your fingertip against the camera lens, the camera detects the change in color and opacity as blood is pumped through your skin. Smartwatch heart apps use sensors on the back of the watch to detect electrical pulses generated by the heart.

Heart Rate App Reliability

Health monitoring app technologies are still in their infancy and reliability and accuracy can vary depending upon the program, mobile platform, and the quality of the device camera. At this stage, many of these tools are probably closer to the traditional “finger-on-the-pulse” method of checking your heart rate than to an actual EKG or heart monitor from a qualified physician.

Apple Watch

In addition to monitoring your heart rate, the Apple Watch Series 4 features an ECG (also known as EKG) measurement that checks how regular your heart rate is and can help spot issues like an irregular rhythm. The Apple product seems to be more reliable than many of the downloadable apps because the technology and device have been developed and tested together. The watch, however, is only meant to flag a possible problem. An actual EKG from your doctor will then provide much more data that will help pinpoint specific issues.

Apple, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine, recently completed an eight-month study on the Apple Watch heart rate and EKG technology to determine whether it would accurately detect atrial fibrillation. While there have been concerns in the medical community about over-notification, the study showed that only 0.5% of participants received irregular pulse notifications. When compared simultaneously to electrocardiography patch recordings, the Apple Watch showed a 71% positive predictive value, and 84% of the participants who received irregular pulse warnings were found to be in atrial fibrillation at the time of the notification.

In addition to over-notification, some physicians are also concerned that false positives generated by the Apple Watch and other apps might result in unnecessary and costly tests, emergency room visits, or even unneeded procedures. Others believe that when used properly, and as part of an overall health treatment program rather than a self-diagnosis tool, these new technologies might help detect heart problems and save lives.

See Your Doctor

While many of the available heart rate apps, watches, and fitness trackers seem to be reasonably accurate, they don’t take the place of visiting a doctor. If you have symptoms or concerns, regardless of what your device says, you should see a doctor. You may contact Woodholme Cardiovascular Associates at 410-469-4000.

 

The information presented here is for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of one-on-one advice from your doctor. Please follow your personal physician’s recommendations if anything found here conflicts with what your doctor has advised.

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