Q&A Session with a Cardiologist

Key Topics Discussed

Understanding Heart Rate

• High Heart Rate: Influenced by conditions like fever or flu (can go up to 120-130 BPM).
• Exercise Heart Rate: 220 minus age = max target heart rate.
  • Eg: 40 years old should aim for a max of 180 BPM.
  • Aim for 70-85% of max during exercise (145-155 BPM for a 40-year-old).

Heart Skipping a Beat

• Premature Beats: Commonly called skipped beats, followed by a compensatory pause.
  • Causes include caffeine, stress, nervousness.
• Arrhythmia: Frequent skipped beats might indicate an issue with the heart’s electrical system.

EKG Basics

• Normal EKG: Regular intervals and consistent waveforms.
• Abnormal EKG: Irregular intervals, varying waveforms (e.g., atrial fibrillation).
• Atrial Fibrillation: Irregular beating of the heart’s upper chambers.
  • Can cause blood pooling and clots, leading to stroke risk.

Palpable Heartbeat

• Commonality: Hearing your heartbeat in ears, especially when lying down, is normal.

Defibrillators

• Purpose: Used to correct ventricular fibrillation (quivering heart muscles).
  • Not effective for flatline situations.

Broken Heart Syndrome

• Reality: Heart dysfunction due to psychological stress.
  • Mimics heart attack in EKG but no blockages found.
  • Condition is generally reversible.

Cardiac Arrest Case (Demar Hamlin)

• Cause: Hit to the chest during the electrical cycle of the heart.
  • Rare event; highlights importance of CPR education.

High Resting Heart Rate despite Exercise

• Causes: Lack of cardiovascular exercise or underlying health issues.
  • Normal resting heart rate: 60-100 BPM; fitter individuals might have lower rates.

Heart Attack Symptoms

• Classic Signs: Chest pressure or tightness, shoulder/jaw pain, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue.
  • Caused by blocked blood vessels in the heart.

Aspirin for Heart Attack Prevention

• Recommendation: Only advised for those with existing cardiovascular disease.
  • Not for general prevention due to side effects like stomach irritation.

Diet and Heart Health

• Balanced Diet: Processed meats high in fat and salt; canned vegetables high in sodium.
  • Eggs are healthy; frying increases cholesterol due to saturated fats.

COVID-19 Impact on Heart

• Effects: Can cause blood clots and weaken heart muscle.
  • Increased risk of heart attacks observed during the pandemic.

Stents vs. Bypass Surgery

• Stent: Wire mesh tube propping open blockages in arteries.
• Bypass Surgery: Using vessels from other body parts to bypass blockages.

Cholesterol Types

• Good (HDL): Beneficial, whereas
• Bad (LDL): Causes blockages and heart attacks.

Heart Functionality

• Daily Activity: Pumps 100,000 times/day, moving 2,000 gallons of blood, through 60,000 miles of vessels.
  • Involves valves for blood flow regulation.

Heart Rate Variability

• Health Indicator: Reflects how the heart responds to stress and relaxation.
• Heart Rate Recovery: How quickly the heart rate normalizes post-exercise; indicator of fitness.

Heart Murmur

• Causes: Extra heart sound caused by conditions like aortic stenosis; can be normal in aging.

Pacemakers

• Function: External device ensuring regular heartbeats when natural pacemakers fail.

Genetics and Heart Disease

• Influence: Genetic conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia or rare conditions like spontaneous coronary artery dissection can lead to heart problems even in the young.

Gum Health and Heart Health

• Correlation: Poor gum health linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Diet for Reversing Heart Disease

• Plant-Based Diet: Some studies suggest effectiveness.
  • High fiber, low saturated fat principles are essential.

Effects of Alcohol and Cigarettes

• Alcohol: Can weaken heart muscle and cause heart failure with excessive use.
• Cigarettes: Cause blood vessel damage over time, leading to heart disease.