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Valvulopathies: Diseases of the heart valves

23 February 20246 January 2024 by psalari

Out of 100 people, 60 know what an heart attack is but only 7 know about heart valve disease (valvulopathy). This is according to asurvey conducted last year among nearly 13,000 people over the age of 60 in 11 European countries and presented in Milan on Sept. 11 at the celebration of the first European Heart Valve Disease Day.”

“The perception of these conditions, which mainly affect the elderly, is unfortunately low not only in the general population but also among territorial physicians, who should spend more time listening to patients, particularly when they report chest pain, breathlessness, fatigue or irregular heartbeat.” says Battistina Castiglioni, GISE councilor, Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology.

“Auscultation of the chest takes only one minute and is sufficient to formulate a suspicion and prescribe an investigation that can make a diagnosis,” points out Sergio Berti, of the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology. In the case of valvulopathy, which affects about 10% of the over-65s, early intervention in the case is decisive and enables the resumption of a completely normal life. Today of the 12,000 valve replacements (of aorta or mitral) performed each year in Italy, 5,500 are done by transcatheter, under local anesthesia only.

Heart attack (or stroke)

20 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply is severely reduced or interrupted.

Symptoms include tightness and pain in the center of the chest, pain radiating to the shoulders, neck, and arms, pallor, sweating, nausea, and shortness of breath.

What to do?

Call an ambulance or go to the emergency room.
Check vital parameters.
Help the victim get into the least painful position (usually sitting with legs raised and knees bent).
Check to see if the patient has any medicines prescribed by the doctor, and if the patient is conscious, help the patient to take them.

Source: Mediserve‘s Pocket Guide to First Aid.

Those factors responsible for sometimes unexpected heart attacks

10 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Obesity is known to be an increased risk, but even getting out of bed facing harsh cold weather conditions can become a lesser-known risk condition.

After a heart attack, physical activity improves the patient’s health condition

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Heart attack patients who then take part in a lifestyle improvement program feel better, especially when they engage in additional physical activity. This is the result of a large study presented in ACVC Essentials 4 You, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“Exercise consolidates physical fitness, with benefits to both physical and mental health,” said study author Dr. Ben Hurdus of the University of Leeds, UK. “If you are gradually able to participate in activities that prospect serenity , then you are more likely to achieve a better quality of life.”

People with heart attacks are usually offered lifestyle classes-which are part of cardiac rehabilitation-unless there are special contraindications. Lessons include physical assistance, smoking cessation, some advice on diet and stress management, as well as attention to medication intake.

This study especially highlighted how heart attack cohort patients view their physical and mental health (a concept definable as “health-related quality of life”).

Heart attacks have a detrimental effect on quality of life, leading to mobility problems, increased self-care in daily activities, although many people take such things as work and leisure for granted.

Previous research has shown a link between cardiac rehabilitation and improved quality of life in heart attack patients. However, most of these studies were conducted before modern drugs, statins to lower “bad” cholesterol and stents to open clogged arteries.

The EMMACE-3 study recruited 4,570 patients who were admitted to 48 hospitals throughout England with suspected heart attack from 2011 to 2013. Patients repeatedly filled out a questionnaire ,while they were in the hospital, and then after 1 month, after 6 months and after 12 months after discharge.

Question items included whether they attended Cardiac Rehabilitation, their perceived quality of life, and an assessment of their physical activity levels.

Patients who participated in Cardiac Rehabilitation programs , reported a higher overall quality of life than non-practicing patients.

Patients who attended a Cardiac Rehabilitation session by exercising up to 150 minutes or even more per week were able to experience satisfactory results on their quality of life, compared with those who stayed out of the program. Dr. Hurdus said,“Cardiac Rehabilitation involves not only physical results, but also greater commitment to leading an appropriate lifestyle and taking medications that result in an overall improvement in quality of life. Added to these outcomes are other social benefits, such as being with other people in a similar situation and sharing a sense of community. People who then choose to perform their rehabilitative practices for more minutes than the recommended minimum of 150 minutes per week report achieving an even higher quality of life.”

Professor Chris Gale, senior author from the University of Leeds, concluded: “All heart attack patients should be referred to a Cardiac Rehabilitation program unless their physician has reasons to advise against it. Patients are advised to talk with their primary care physician to consider whether the Cardiac Rehabilitation program may be suitable for the patient’s physical condition.”

Source: European Society of Cardiology