QA: ask the experts - Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, MD
Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, MD, is medical officer, heart failure and arrhythmia branch, Division of Cardiac Diseases, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute read more »
What is…the aorta?
The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. It originates from the left ventricle of the heart, and brings oxygen-enriched blood to all parts of the body from our brains down to the tips of our toes. read more »
What is Holter monitor
A Holter monitor is a portable device that helps detect cardiac abnormalities. Invented by Dr. Norman J. Holter in 1949, a Holter monitor tracks the electrical activity of the heart for 24 hours or more. read more »
Guest expert - Timothy A. Sanborn, MD
Timothy A. Sanborn, MD is professor of medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and head of the Division of Cardiology at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in Evanston, Ill. read more »
What is the pericardium?
The pericardium is a two-layered membrane that surrounds the heart. The inner layer, or visceral pericardium, adheres to the heart’s surface. The parietal pericardium is the tough outer layer. It anchors the heart in the central part of the thorax (the chest region) and attaches to the breastbone (sternum), the diaphragm, and an area near the lungs. A lubricating fluid separates the two layers, preventing them from rubbing together as the heart beats. read more »
Is it true that heart failure can cause dementia and/or Alzheimer's disease?
Q. Is it true that heart failure can cause dementia and/or Alzheimer disease?
A. Heart failure in elderly people has indeed been linked with dementia problems, including Alzheimer disease. Of course, both conditions are frequently seen in this age group, but research in people age 75 and older indicates that heart failure does raise the risk of dementia in older adults. read more »
Thrombophlebitis in my right leg. Should I wear compression stockings?
Q. I was recently diagnosed with thrombophlebitis in my right leg. I remember talking with someone who had the same problem and who wore compression stockings. Might this be something I should do?
A. Compression stockings can really help ease the discomfort of thrombophlebitis. In this condition, the leg veins closest to the skin’s surface (superficial veins) or those deeper become inflamed by a blood clot. This can occur when the muscular walls of the veins weaken or the valves that should keep blood flowing upward toward the heart malfunction. read more »
What’s the difference between transesophageal echocardiography and regular echocardiography?
Q. What’s the difference between transesophageal echocardiography and regular echocardiography?
A. The short answer is that transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provides better, more in-depth images of the heart than traditional echocardiography. read more »
Lowering cholesterol levels cuts heart attack risk
Lowering cholesterol levels cuts heart attack risk read more »