Sound Medicine -- September 14, 2002
- Barbara Lewis and Dr. Kathy Miller talk to physicians and experts
about heart conditions:
-
 A
new heart-synchronizing pacemaker
Polycystic
ovary syndrome and heart disease
Listen to the show:
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Heart-synchronizing pacemaker
Between two and three million Americans have heart failure, with 39,000
people dying each year from it and 400,000 new cases diagnosed annually.
Heart failure usually develops slowly over the course of many years
as the heart loses its pumping ability. Symptoms often don't present
until the heart is severely damaged and weakened. They include shortness
of breath and fatigue, which eventually debilitate the patient. Now,
a new type of pacemaker that resynchronizes the heart offers new promise.
We talk with cardiologist Dr. J.D. Graham. He defines heart failure
as a weakened heart muscle, which can be caused by a virus or by conditions
such as high blood pressure, clogged arteries and heart attacks. Dr.
Graham discusses medications that help, even improve heart's condition.
For hearts with a damaged electrical system, the new, bi-ventricular
pacemaker works constantly to synchronize the heart muscle, which ensures
better ejection of blood. He reports patients experience significant
improvement in their quality of life. Dr. Graham explains the mechanics
of pacemakers, how they're installed, and how long they last. He also
provides warnings about magnetic waves for wearers.
Dr. J.D. Graham is a cardiologist with Indiana Heart Physicians and
St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers.
- Resources
- Dr. Graham recommends the following links:
 The
American
Heart Association provides information for maintaining a healthy
heart.
- The
American College of Cardiology Web
is primarily for medical professionals, but curious individuals will
find good reading under "media, journals, & news."
- The
Mayo Clinic Web site has a
section dedicated to heart
and blood vessel health which discusses conditions like congestive
heart failure.
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome affects 5 to 10 percent of women in their
reproductive years and is a leading cause of infertility. The syndrome
is defined by symptoms such as obesity, irregular menstrual cycles,
elevated testosterone levels that can cause excess body hair, and ovarian
cysts. But perhaps more serious is the high risk of diabetes and cardiovascular
disease among women with PCOS. In fact, women with PCOS have a risk
of heart attack seven times the normal.
We talk with Dr. Brad Weinberg, cardiologist with the Indiana Heart
Hospital, part of Community Health Network, and Reyna Dodd, whose 21-year-old
daughter died of heart disease as a complication of PCOS.
Mrs. Dodd, an educator and advocate for PCOS, describes her daughter's
illness and death of coronary artery disease. Dr. Weinberg explains
the recently made connection between PCOS and heart disease. Women at
risk have higher blood sugars, hypertension, diabetes, poor cholesterol
levels and obesity. Dr. Weinberg advises PCOS patients to pay attention
to these accompanying metabolic conditions. He says that at the moment,
these problems are what doctors treat.
- Resources
- The
American Heart Association published a journal report in June
2002 detailing recent research linking PCOS and heart disease.
- A MEDLINEplus
page with many links to information about PCOS, including research
and news about the condition.
- The
PCOTeen
support group is for young women with PCOS. It offers chat, message
boards and email lists.
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We're pleased to thank our founding sponsors: IU
Medical Group,
Clarian Health
and Wishard Health Services.
Upcoming programs:
We talk with founder of Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Patrick Aeberhard.
We also cover the topic of overweight children and the importance of
napping as an adult.
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Health Quiz —
How frequently can you donate blood?
Blood transfusions are a vital part of mass casualty response, as
we all learned during the aftermath of last September's terrorist attacks,
and blood banks were soon filled by donations from those who wanted to
do whatever they could to help. According to the American Association
of Blood Banks, less than 5% of people eligible to give blood do so. How
frequently may the average healthy person donate blood?
a. once a year
b. 4 times a year
c. 6 times a year
d. once a week
Find out!
Medical mystery — Unsaturated versus saturated fats
"Low-fat," "fat-free" and "heart-healthy."
It's almost impossible to walk through the supermarket without reminders
to watch our fat intake. But what exactly should we be looking for
when we read nutrition labels and see percentages of unsaturated versus
saturated fat?
Find out!
Weekly Notebook—
West Nile facts
IU School of Medicine neurologist Dr. Karen Roos voices the concern of
many health officials when she says it's likely the West Nile virus will
mutate, like a flu virus, and become stronger and harder to control. Also,
when applying DEET insect repellent to young children, Roos advises keeping
the substance off their hands so it doesn't get in their mouths or irritate
their eyes. Here are more West Nile facts:
• As of Sept. 13, there have been 57 probable human cases
of West Nile virus in Indiana.
• In the past, most cases of West Nile disease have been
reported in September and early October.
• A person bitten by an infected mosquito may show symptoms
from 3 to 15 days after the bite.
• Severe cases are most common in individuals over 50
years old or those with weakened immune systems.
Source: Indiana
State Department of Health |
