heart-letter
In a reversal of its previous advice, the American College of Cardiology says that most people with heart disease do not need to take antibiotics before having dental work done, but people in certain categories still need the medication.
Medical organizations have long recommended taking antibiotics before certain procedures that could cause bacteria to infect the heart, but new guidelines state that only people with certain heart conditions or diseases need take the drugs.
Angioplasty can open narrowed arteries, but it won’t stop their underlying cause, artherosclerosis. Weighing the benefits of angioplasty and its alternatives.
Most angioplasty procedures are performed through the femoral artery in the groin, but the radial artery in the wrist is also a viable access point, and may be slightly safer for some patients.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm can be dangerous if it grows beyond a certain size. A newer, less invasive procedure can correct the problem with less risk than open surgery.
An increasing waistline in middle age could be an indicator of metabolic syndrome, which is a group of risk factors that often leads to heart disease or diabetes.
Certain inherited genetic conditions increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, so having a genetic test may show whether a person is at risk for heart disease, especially if a family member has one of the conditions.
This special section highlights the relationships between the heart and many other parts of the body.
The medical view of atherosclerosis is changing from the traditional one of arteries blocked by plaque to a more encompassing one, with inflammation as the main cause and an emphasis on stopping it before it even starts.
People who take warfarin to prevent blood clots who need to undergo a surgical procedure generally need to stop taking the drug a few days beforehand, but for those who are at high risk of a clot, taking heparin instead for a few days may be necessary.