Cardiovascular Operations Way Overused, Critics Say
Coronary bypass operations, reaming out arteries with balloon-tipped catheters, and placing drug-coated wire-mesh tubes in blood vessels to keep them open are procedures performed on millions of Americans a year.
But most of these expensive and sometimes risky operations may actually be unnecessary, according to Miami cardiologist Michael Ozner, medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida, because they skip counseling patients about diet, exercise and stress management. Ozner is one of many doctors who are vocally critical of what they see as the overuse of "interventional cardiology," which is lucrative for the physicians and hospitals that perform it, but which may actually be frivolously wasting the country's limited health-care resources.
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What is the Polypill?
Dr. Valentin Fuster discusses the Polypill. The Polypill is being developed in response to an important reality surrounding cardiovascular disease. There are three important drugs that can help prevent heart disease (statins, ACE inhibitors, and aspirin). These drugs are not taken for two major reasons. First, the drugs are simply too expensive for much of the world, including countries as developed as Russia. And secondly, in developed nations where the drugs are affordable patients too often fail to comply - after three years 70% of patients do not take the medications as prescribed.
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What Are the Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease?
Dr. Valentin Fuster discusses the 6 causes or risk factors behind coronary artery disease. There are two physical risk factors: high blood pressure and size of the waist (or abdominal obesity). There are two chemical risk factors: cholesterol levels in the blood and blood glucose (diabetes). And finally, there are two lifestyle risk factors: smoking and exercise.
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What is Coronary Artery Disease?
Dr. Valentin Fuster, one of the world's leading cardiologists, discusses the basics of coronary heart disease. Dr. Fuster than describes the symptoms of a heart attack and how to differentiate these symptoms from other conditions. Most importantly, he urges viewers to pay attention to these symptoms and the importance of getting medical treatment as soon as possible, even if one has the least suspicion of a coronary incident. Getting treatment in the first hour or two can minimize damage to heart muscle.
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What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?
Dr. Sattesh Babu of Vascular Associates of Westchester discusses Peripheral Arterial Disease, who is at risk, why it is important to be screened and current treatments. Pad is essentially a blockage of the arteries in the lower extremities. That is what we mean by peripheral arteries -- leg arteries blocked by hardening of the arteries, buildup of cholesterol, plaque and calcium. This in part is a process of aging, but certainly also brought on by smoking. Diabetes is another risk factor, as is hypertension.
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What is Carotid Stenosis?
Dr. Sateesh Babu of Vascular Associates of Westchester discusses "What is Carotid Stenosis?", the treatments, who should be screened and future developments, such as new stenting techniques.
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