Tag: Dr. John Mandrola

‘Holiday Heart’ in women

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 6 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Here’s something to keep in mind as you ponder your party planner this season.  Some people are apparently so extremely sensitive to alcohol that even moderate amounts – sometimes just a single drink – can trigger episodes of the heart arrhythmia known as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This unusual syndrome is also what doctors sometimes call “Holiday Heart“.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm disturbance that can produce significant symptoms. It is a rapid and irregular heart arrhythmia, caused by chaotic electrical impulses in the atria of the heart (the two upper chambers). In many cases, AF is caused by underlying heart disease or by aging. But often, it seems to have no identifiable cause. In cases of Holiday Heart, however, the possible cause may be an unusual sensitivity to alcohol consumption.  And in women, some Holiday Heart symptoms can look significantly different than those observed in our male counterparts.     Continue reading “‘Holiday Heart’ in women” →

What prevents heart disease “better than any drug”?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 8 Comments

roses-3700007_1280

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥  @HeartSisters

It doesn’t come in a pill bottle, nor is it supported by multi-million dollar marketing campaigns. It’s affordable, and often even completely free. It has few if any harmful side effects. It’s appropriate for both young and old alike. And just like the fistful of  cardiac medications I now take every day since my own heart attack, I keep careful track of it (as evidenced by the stickers on my exercise calendar). It is exercise.

And it helps to prevent heart disease “better than any drug”, says Mario Mitkov of the University of California at Davis.   Continue reading “What prevents heart disease “better than any drug”?” →

Why are women with atrial fibrillation treated differently?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 6 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas 

She is a 60-year old heart patient who wryly claims: “Catheter ablation is one of my favorite subjects!” After she underwent this treatment for her atrial fibrillation*, she healed surprisingly slowly, and her distressing episodes of high or irregular heart rate – averaging anywhere from 140-160 beats per minute – “came back full-time”.

She was also warned that these symptoms could last for months. She adds:

“I know how frustrating it is when doctors tell you that ablation is ‘The Answer’ and it turns out not to be.”

Sadly, she is not alone. Last year, cardiac researchers at St. David’s Hospital in Austin, Texas reported striking differences in the outcomes and complications of more than 3,200 women who underwent the cardiac procedure called Atrial Fibrillation Ablation*.  Continue reading “Why are women with atrial fibrillation treated differently?” →

Do you know what causes heart disease?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 6 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas

When I gently scolded Kentucky cardiologist Dr. John Mandrola recently over his cheeky criticism of diet soda (he’s a bike racer, what can I say?), we began a subsequent exchange of emails that led me to his blog.  There I found the simplest, clearest explanation of heart disease that I have yet discovered – particularly on the role that inflammation plays in causing our cardiac events. With the permission of this cardiac electrophysiologist (thanks, Dr. John), I’m reprinting his essay here, including his Primary Prevention Strategies, or “what regular people call healthy living”:   Continue reading “Do you know what causes heart disease?” →