Love Your Heart: A Cleveland Clinic Podcast

Dr. Lars Svensson, Chairman of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Heart and Vascular Institute discusses a recently published paper with Dr. Milind Desai, Medical Director of the Aorta Center, looking at a series of 491 Marfan Syndrome (MFS) patients who presented for both emergent and/or prophylactic aorta surgery. Dr. Svensson provides a review of the MFS guidelines regarding when to operate. Dr. Desai explains multi-modality imaging including echo, MRI and CT scan when determining timing for surgery. The findings of the study are reviewed as well as implications for future care of patients with MFS. Read the study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and learn more about Marfan syndrome at the Marfan Foundation.

Dr. Paul Cremer, valve expert answers common questions by patients with valve disease: how did I get valve disease? How do I know that I have a valve problem? How should my valve problem be followed and treated? What activities can I do if I have valve disease? When do I need treatment? What are my options?

In honor of Heart Failure Awareness Week, Steven Nissen, MD, Chairman of the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic talks with Randall Starling, MD, MPH, President of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and Jerry Estep, MD, Section Head of Heart Failure at Cleveland Clinic about what we need to know about heart failure – whether a patient or provider; including the extent that heart failure affects us, treatment options – from medications – to the newest devices and transplant, and differences in causes and/or presentation based on gender and race.

Steven Nissen, MD talks with Jerry Estep, MD, Section Head, Heart Failure and Transplantation and Edward Soltesz, MD, Surgical Director of the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure and Recovery about what a diagnosis of heart failure means, what medications help improve survival and quality of life, when a patient should seek a second opinion about advanced heart failure therapies such as left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant, and what LVADs do and how they work.

After a webchat on cardiovascular disease risk factors, Dr. Stanley Hazen discusses common questions about primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease such as when should someone go to a preventive cardiology clinic, tests that are ordered in preventive cardiology, when is calcium score used, what is TMAO and what to do when it is elevated, when stress testing is used and how much exercise is recommended.

Steven Nissen, MD discusses with Christine Jellis, MD, PhD what patients need to know about imaging tests such as nuclear, echo, CT and MRI testing; risks involved such as radiation dosage, when tests need to be redone, what they need to know about the transesophageal echo.

After a webchat on Achalasia and Swallowing Disorders, thoracic surgeon Dr. Siva Raja and gastroenterologist Dr. Scott Gabbard review common concerns about treatment options and diagnostic testing to obtain the best outcomes; pain management; as well as what patients should know who have had prior treatments.

After a webchat on Pericarditis, with Dr. Allan Klein, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Pericardial Disease Center reviewed common questions that patients ask about medications, how patients are monitored during treatment, exercise, and what is on the horizon for new treatments.

Dr. Erik Van Iterson, Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic what patients should know about cardiac rehabilitation: Who can benefit? When should you start a cardiac rehabilitation program? How does cardiac rehab fit into your treatment plan? What should you do if you do not have a cardiac rehab program close by? How does the family benefit?