Love Your Heart: A Cleveland Clinic Podcast

February is Heart Month! American diets are notoriously unhealthy for your heart, but why? Cleveland Clinic conducted a survey to find out the most common barriers to a heart healthy diet. Natalie Salvatore, RN and Julia Zumpano, RD talk about some of the responses about why eating healthy is so hard.

Lymphedema is swelling that happens when something affects your lymphatic system. When your lymphatic system doesn’t work well, your body accumulates fluid and may begin to swell. Dr. Doug Joseph, one of the medical directors of the multi-disciplinary lymphedema clinic, provides an overview of lymphedema including diagnosis and treatment options.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating or is not beating sufficiently to maintain adequate blood flow and life. This can happen to anyone. Dr. Michael Emery and Dr. Tamana Singh, Co-Directors of the Sports Cardiology Center, talk about what happens to an athlete who experiences sudden cardiac arrest and everything that happens after.

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that originate in the bottom chambers of the heart called the ventricles. Dr. Oussama Wazni talks with Dr. Pasquale Santangeli, the Director of the Ventricular Arrhythmia Center, about treatment and management for patients with ventricular arrhythmias.

A common question our heart doctors get asked is "Can I do anything to prevent a leaky heart valve or anything to keep it from getting worse?" Dr. Marc Gillinov, Chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, explains that a leaky heart valve cannot be prevented and that routine monitoring is a great way to catch if it becomes worse.

The new year often brings resolutions to improve your health and wellbeing. Natalie Salvatore, RN, speaks with Dr. Dennis Bruemmer about adopting lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy in the new year.

Large aneurysms at risk of splitting or bursting may require surgery. Your surgeon may use an open repair technique where a graft is sewn in to repair the damaged part or an endovascular repair where a stent graft is put into place using a thin tube inserted in to the artery. Dr. Patrick Vargo talks about aortic aneurysm surgery. Drs. Milind Desai, Eric Roselli and Vidyasagar Kalahasti discuss considerations after aortic aneurysm surgery.

If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone who doesn’t have diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. People with diabetes are also more likely to have other conditions that raise the risk for heart disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Natalie Salvatore, RN, talks with Dr. Dennis Bruemmer about how diabetes and heart disease go hand in hand.

The holiday season can be a very happy time but also a very stressful time and can create challenges for managing your heart health. Julia Zumpano R.D. and Natalie Salvatore RN discuss some common challenges and ways to stay on track during the holiday season including shopping, traveling and holiday gatherings.

Connective tissue provides support to many structures within the body, such as the heart valves and blood vessels (the aorta). Dr. Vidyasagar Kalahasti, Director of the Cardiovascular Marfan Syndrome & Connective Tissue Clinic, discusses connective tissue disorders and your aorta.