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Heart & Cardiology/Questions Answered by Expert Frank J. Pearl, M.D.
| Subject | Date Asked |
| T-Wave abnormalities on EKG | 2/7/2012 |
| Q: Upon a "pre-employment" physical examination my roommate's EKG revealed T-Wave abnormalities. The ... A: The T-wave abnormalities are non-specific. As a middle aged male he should have a formal cardiac ... | |
| Congestive Heart Failure & Medications | 1/16/2012 |
| Q: I'm a severely overweight 39-year-old male with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. I'm an ex-smoker ... A: Coreg is a better Beta blocker than Atenolol. You are likely to have a cough with other ACE ... | |
| Elevated LVEDP | 1/7/2012 |
| Q: Good Morning: Two years ago I had a cardiac catherization and was told everything was normal, no ... A: The LV systolic pressure should be the same as the aortic systolic pressure. They may be different ... | |
| Statins | 10/8/2011 |
| Q: I am a 58 year old female and just had my annual physical. Should I be started on a statin? My ... A: Most physicians would opt to treat. Another option would be to do a 64 slice CT and carotid ... | |
| PROMINENT RVID | 8/16/2011 |
| Q: I had ASD defect to my heart'and i have been treated by my doctor and open hert surgery is taken ... A: The prominent RV may well be related to your previous ASD. Your BP is borderline high. You need to ... | |
| heart attack? | 7/26/2011 |
| Q: I am a 35 female, 5'4" 165. Had gastric bypass 4 years ago was 269. Last year had gall bladder ... A: It sounds like you may have had a transient heart rhythm problem. If it recurs you should go to an ... | |
| heart vs hiatal hernia | 5/20/2011 |
| Q: Two years ago, I experienced a squeezing in my chest and drove myself to the emergency room. They ... A: Ask your doctor about a 64 slice CT to look for coronary Ca++. If your calcium score is zero, with ... | |
| strange chest pain - not heart related | 3/26/2011 |
| Q: i went to emergency to the hospital last night for what i was sure was a vice like feeling in my ... A: You could have bronchitis causing the cough. The pain may be costochondritis which is a pull of the ... | |
| Cholesterol test, Result Clarity | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: I need some clarity about my Non Fasting Cholesterol Test, CHOLESTEROL TOTAL and TRIGLYCERIDES ... A: 1 - You need to repeat the study fasting 2 - You need to discuss the results with your personal ... | |
| Odd Frequent Double Heartbeats - episodes of sudden multiple doubles | 2/27/2011 |
| Q: It started in the 70s. In the 80s, I had EKGs and Echoes done without any findings. They had been ... A: It sounds like you are having premature beats and possibly runs of some type of abnormal ... | |
| Echocardiogram results | 12/16/2010 |
| Q: I have Idiopathis Dilated Cardiomyopathy with CHF. My cardiologist has been very general when ... A: Things sound relatively stable, maybe a tad worse. You should consider a second opinion with a ... | |
| echo and ecg | 11/24/2010 |
| Q: 50 year old male panic and anxiety intermittant high blood pressure no meds ecg sinus rythm lahb ... A: You need to make sure that your blood pressure is optimized so that it is not putting a strain on ... | |
| hypertension?? | 11/13/2010 |
| Q: I took my blood pressure in walmart on a automatic machine, and it read 151/94.- had just walked in ... A: You have had several high readings. You may want to ask your doctor about a 24 hour BP monitor to ... | |
| Heart failure and PVC's | 10/29/2010 |
| Q: I have heart failure now with EF 18 months ago of 30-35%...about 6 months ago started having pvc's ... A: Given the damage to your heart you should consider a formal evaluation with a cardiologist who ... | |
| Heart Health and concern of test results | 9/3/2010 |
| Q: I am 29 years old male. In a routine blood test & health checkup my results were as follows: BP: ... A: There is no absolute right or wrong answer. Given your profile and family history pharmacologic ... | |
| ECG Report | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: I'm 31, I had taken an ecg recently It says Rate: 105 PR: 109 QRSD: 79 QT: 320 QTc: 423 -AXIS- ... A: Your rate is minimally fast and your PR interval is slightly short, both of which are probably not ... | |
| Blood pressure | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: Quick question regarding hypertension.... I'm 29 years of age and am physically active; however, I ... A: The issue is what your pressure runs most of the time and whether is is having an effect on your ... | |
| dad's heart surgery | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: Hey Doctor Pearl, My dad's South Asian (high risk i know), 50 years old, diabetic, and has has ... A: You will need to discuss the questions about his post-operative course with his personal physicians ... | |
| trouble pumping | 6/22/2010 |
| Q: had echo few days ago told "structurally bit of trouble pumping has slowed significantly" I had H.A. ... A: My best guess is that it means that there has been a decrease in the pumping ability (ejection ... | |
| PAC's and stomach | 6/17/2010 |
| Q: I am a 65 year old female in good health but am having a lot of PAC's daily. I have had these off ... A: I'm sorry for taking so long to respond but I was out sick myself. GI problems can aggravate cardiac ... | |
| rapdi heart | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: Each evening about 7pm my heart starts racing,my left forearm will begin tingling, I get a small ... A: I'm sorry for taking so long to respond but I was out sick myself. You need to discuss this with ... | |
| Cause of presyncope? | 6/15/2010 |
| Q: I've made an appointment with my doctor, but I'm just curious as to what if anything is wrong with ... A: I'm sorry for taking so long to respond but I was out sick myself. I think that you hit the nail on ... | |
| tachycardia | 6/15/2010 |
| Q: I had two strains of brucellosis (melitensis and abortus) in 1996, and was told that my heart and ... A: I'm sorry for taking so long to respond but I was out sick myself. You should consider a formal ... | |
| Cholestrol Concerns | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: Today I got my blood results and below is the cholestrol level I got: HDL:25 LDL: 125 Tri: 275 I ... A: You should be on a low carb, moderately low fat diet with exercise including weight training. If ... | |
| brachycardia & blood pressure | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: I had a ECG done at a county health clinic. It came back with a heart beat of 53 (below normal) ... A: I would agree with your cardiologist. Also, if your carotid study demonstrated some blockage then ... | |
| premature atriaal complex | 5/26/2010 |
| Q: somtimes my hearth skips tree times like this --- - - - ----- im living white this problem fore 2 ... A: If you are having associated dizziness you should consider a formal evaluation with a cardiologist ... | |
| Stator-10 mg | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: My Name is Mr. Partha Pratim Das, Computer Assistant of RCH II, of District Family Welfare Bureau, ... A: Without knowing all of the specifics of your case it would seem reasonable to have pharmacologic ... | |
| Heart Palpitations PVC | 3/15/2010 |
| Q: I am 51 year old woman who has been experiencing nonstop PVCs since Oct 31st 2009. I was sent for a ... A: Frequent, isolated PVC's in the absence of structural heart disease do not require any specific ... | |
| too many post-heart attack medications preventing biopsy from taking place | 3/6/2010 |
| Q: I am writing because my father, now 73 years old, has recently had a heart attack, on Dec. 31. He ... A: If he had coated stents he needs to be on Plavix, a blood thinner, for at least 3 months. That is ... | |
| Cholesterol medium risk reg | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: My father(age 68) and mother(age 64) both of them are in medium risk as for as Cholesterol level is ... A: You will need to discuss this with your parents' personal physician. In general, once patients are ... | |
| ECG | 2/18/2010 |
| Q: My GP had always put it down to me being anxious when i go which i usually am ( i just have to walk ... A: You would have to discuss the findings with your personal physician who can review the ECG. If your ... | |
| Exercise related exhaustion | 2/18/2010 |
| Q: I hope my message finds you happy and well. I am a 28 year old male who has recently discovered ... A: Depending on how fast your heart rate is, it could be normal or abnormal. It would be unlikely to be ... | |
| Heart Skipping A Beat | 2/3/2010 |
| Q: For the past few weeks, I have had a flutter in my chest off and on. Today it seemed to be lasting ... A: This is not something that can be properly evaluated over the Web. As a middle aged individual with ... | |
| High Triglyceride level | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: I am a 55 yo female and my family doctor put me on Tricor to bring my triglyceride levels down. I ... A: I meant for you to check that your liver tests were normal immediately prior to starting the ... | |
| High Triglyceride level | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: I am a 55 yo female and my family doctor put me on Tricor to bring my triglyceride levels down. I ... A: You should follow a low carb, moderately low fat diet and exercise (including weight training.) ... | |
| cardiology | 1/10/2010 |
| Q: Pearl i am radiologist aged about 49 yrs h/o of rheumatic fever at age of 17 yrs,NIDDM since 14 yrs ... A: Sorry about the delay, I was out sick. Your QTc is borderline - I am not sure of the significance. ... | |
| First reading always High because of fear? | 1/9/2010 |
| Q: I developed a case of BP Phobia and I'm having a hard time breaking the habit...when I had severe ... A: Sorry about the delay, I was out sick. No patient's BP remains constant. It will always elevated ... | |
| ECP | 1/7/2010 |
| Q: my husband is currently doing ECP therapy. He's been doing it approx a couple weeks. First ... A: 1 - There is frequently a decrease infrequency and/or severity of angina - this has been looked at ... | |
| cardiology | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: Iam a doctor age 49 yrs ecg shows RBBB with LAHB 10yrs kindly explain significance of bifasicular ... A: Most likely this will not be a problem. It is always possible that there can be progression over the ... | |
| low pressure left arm | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: I checked my blood pressure at home in the evening on my left arm and it was 96/48. I was scared ... A: Blood pressure can vary from the time it takes to measure it in one arm until you measure it in the ... | |
| Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, For a while now I have been able to notice a pulse in my abdomen. If I palpate the ... A: It is not abnormal to feel a pulse in the abdomen particularly if you are thin. An aneurysm is not ... | |
| Abnormal EKG Result | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: I went to the local clinic yesterday for a EKG. They could not interpret the results. The doctor ... A: It is a non-specific finding. It could be normal secondary to lead placement. It could be abnormal ... | |
| pulmonary hypertension | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: Frank, I recently had my first echo. I am 44 female 125 lbs. Here are my results. LVID 4.0 cm ... A: There is very mild elevation of your pulmonary artery pressure. Most likely it is not serious but ... | |
| med school | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: i have a question regarding med school and resediancy programs in the vascular/cardiovascular ... A: If you are near the top of your class in any good medical school you should have an excellent chance ... | |
| Stress Test Results | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: Pearl, First a quick family background. On my mothers side, there has been a significant incidence ... A: It is normal for systolic BP to rise with exercise. Usually the diastolic pressure drops. Yours did ... | |
| artery plaque | 9/13/2009 |
| Q: Dr.- Is there any way to remove the plaque buildup in arteries? Are there any ... A: Aggressive treatment of your lipid metabolic profile and result in stopping of progression and often ... | |
| abnormal ekg | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: today for a physical before I start a weight loss program. After the EKG, a new physicial in the ... A: Yes. It could be that the symptoms were misinterpreted - thought to be "indigestion." It could also ... | |
| Tests | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: I recently followed up on an echo cardigram performed one year ago prior to a total knee ... A: You need to optimize your BP and lipid/metabolic profile, particularly given your high calcium ... | |
| 22 y/o. "Pressure" in my head during exercise, lightheadedness, and other symptoms. | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: A bit of background: As a kid and teenager, Doctors always called to attention my fast and ... A: This does not sound like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, however if it has been 7 years since your last ... | |
| Medical | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: Hey, finally a way to connect with a doctor. I am starting my undergraduate in Biology in a few days ... A: 1 - Do well in school and have a diversified curriculum. Take the minimum number of sciences ... | |
| Post-Angioplasty Strategizing | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: Here is some of my background: I'm 55, 5'10, 165 lbs. I eat healthy and exercise, never smoked or ... A: If your stress test is negative after 1 year stopping those meds would be reasonable. Whatever you ... | |
| SVT/Anemia | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: I was in the ER for an episode of what was clinically diagnosed as SVT (I converted before we could ... A: Assuming that your pulse of 222 was correct, you had some kind of tachyarrhythmia and not sinus ... | |
| P.A.F. | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: I have Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which has been infrequent in the past 5 episodes over 5-6 ... A: There is not nearly enough information to properly assess the situation, particularly over the Web. ... | |
| Low heart rate, high blood pressure | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: I am a 52 y/o white female. Starting to exhibit signs of high BP such as 165/85, when active much ... A: When measuring BP to determine hypertension it must be done in the resting state. Everyone's BP ... | |
| debnovel@gmail.com | 8/26/2009 |
| Q: I am a lifelong warfarin-user due to Factor V Leiden and history of pulmonary embolism and multiple ... A: It sounds like you have systemic atherosclerosis with an excellent basic lipid profile. Ask your ... | |
| Understanding the term | 8/19/2009 |
| Q: D., I got a blood test in Australia. There is a line of the report I do not understand-- S Chol/HDLC ... A: It is the ratio of total serum cholesterol/HDL (good cholesterol). the bet way to improve that ... | |
| My husband's chest pain | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: Let me start out by saying that in October 2008, my husband was at the dentist and had to be ... A: 1 - a blockage would not necessarily show up on an EKG or enzyme test 2 - some of his symptoms may ... | |
| Fast Heart Rate | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: My daughter's heart rate at times is as high as 150 doing nothing. She wore a heart monitor for 24 ... A: If it is a normal fast heart beat there would be no specific heart treatment. She should check with ... | |
| right bundle block | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: I have been diagnoised with right bundle block by only EKG. Never a problem until now. I had severe ... A: Right bundle branch block is often permanent. It is asymptomatic in the absence of other problems. ... | |
| My heart rhythm | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: I am a 29 year old male in what I considered mostly good health. I have had some problems with ... A: What has been found so far does not sound serious. Unless there are prolonged runs of extra beats no ... | |
| PVCs | 6/5/2009 |
| Q: My wife recently was laying on the couch resting her head on my chest and noticed certain skipped ... A: PVC's are not normal although they may not be serious (in the absence of structural heart disease.) ... | |
| racing heart | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: "I woke up last night suddenly, feeling like my throat was closed off or I couldn't breathe. I have ... A: It would be unlikely for your heart rate to reach 200 with irregularity secondary to panic. Ask your ... | |
| Mitral valve insufficiency | 5/21/2009 |
| Q: I NEVER in my life had heart problems until 2 months after delivering my son 6 years ago. I have bad ... A: Most likely the 72% refers to your left ventricular ejection fraction which is normal. Ask your ... | |
| Murmur....scared please help | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: so two weeks ago i was diagnose with a heart murmur. i am 20 years old, for the most part healthy. i ... A: A heart murmur is a noise due to turbulent flow thru the heart just like water can make in your ... | |
| Skipped/irregular heart beats | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: I am a 59 year old male. I underwent a heart cath procedure due to chest pains in Sept. 2008. ... A: This is probably nothing serious but you need to discuss it with your personal cardiologist. Also ... | |
| tachycardia | 5/2/2009 |
| Q: I have MVP, with mild leakage. I had a couple of episodes in the last year where after activity, ... A: Most likely this is nothing serious but you need to discuss this with your personal physician and/or ... | |
| heart disease | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I'm 22, male, underweight (5'7" 128lbs) when I was 6 to 8 years old I almost fainted 3 times, ... A: Most likely this is not something life-threatening. Isolated premature beats are generally benign in ... | |
| Chest Pain | 4/4/2009 |
| Q: I am a 43 yr old female. I had tightening of the chest and back with Left arm tingling, was admitted ... A: Ask your doctor about an EBT (Electron Beam Tomography) to look for coronary calcification. If your ... | |
| Home/Portable Defibrillator | 2/28/2009 |
| Q: I have a friend who recently had an EBCT scan with a result of over 500. All coronary arteries were ... A: I think that the money would be better spent on a stress test (which will hopefully be negative) and ... | |
| Atrial Fib | 2/22/2009 |
| Q: My husband has a real problem right now with AF. He has a biventricaular device and is suffering ... A: A biventricular pacemaker does not treat atrial fibrillation. It is generally advised to have the ... | |
| Echocardiogram Results | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: I am a 46-year-old male, 5'10" and 239 lbs. I have been experiencing PVCs immediately after ... A: The chambers on the left side of your heart (left atrium and left ventricle) are mildly enlarged. ... | |
| Blood pressure | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: First, thank you for taking time to review my question. Brief history... I'm 50 years old, female, ... A: Your chart was too small to read. A BP of 100/60 (in the absence of symptoms) is excellent. You need ... | |
| Rapid heartbeat | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: I'm a healthy 39-year-old woman. My blood pressure tends to be at the low end of normal. For about ... A: This is not sinus arrhythmia. 240/min at rest is abnormal. You need to discuss this with your ... | |
| PVC's | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: I am a 27 y/o male, and I recently (within the last two weeks) started having PVC's. I went to the ... A: Low potassium can lead to PVC's. You need to ask why your potassium is low. Low thyroid can cause a ... | |
| Cholesterol tests | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: I am a 28 year old male in good shape and I have a question regarding to cholesterol tests that I ... A: A calcium score of zero at your age does not rule out disease in the future. Depending on your ... | |
| Heart Palpitations | 12/18/2008 |
| Q: I get a feeling like my heart is going "thud" every once in awhile. Kind of like a skipped beat. I ... A: Most likely you are having premature (extra) beats. Ask your personal physician about arranging a 24 ... | |
| echo results | 12/4/2008 |
| Q: I recently had an echo done because I was having palp's and feeling fatigued. Ejection fraction ... A: I does not sound like there is any major cardiac problem. You need to discuss the findings with your ... | |
| Coronary artery disease | 12/3/2008 |
| Q: Good morning I am a 61 year old male with good blood pressure (110/70) and with the exception of ... A: #1 - No #2 - No #3 - Yes, Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) or 64 slice CT to look for coronary ... | |
| Sudden Onset of Low BP and Rapid Hearbeat Episodes | 11/22/2008 |
| Q: My name is Dana Cooper. I am a 26 year old woman. I am 5' tall and weigh 85lbs. I haven't been to a ... A: What you are describing is a problem with your heart rhythm. Depending on the exact abnormality it ... | |
| symptoms, what tests recommended | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: what is the purpose of deep echo EKG. Symptoms are passing out when coughing hard, am also ... A: I am not familiar with a deep echo EKG. I suspect that it is an incorrect description. Passing out ... | |
| Strange heart rhythm | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: Last night I was awoken from a dead sleep by a very disturbing dream about my son getting hurt. ... A: I don't understand the question and am not sure what you are feeling. Normally the heart pumps once ... | |
| Upcoming Neurosurgery with abnormal ECG | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I am a 50-year-old female with a 33-year history of smoking 1/2 pack of cigarettes per ... A: As a middle aged patient with an abnormal lipid profile, a smoking history and possibly an abnormal ... | |
| Irregular Beating | 11/9/2008 |
| Q: I experience, and have experienced now for 17 years, "skipped" heartbeats. That feeling of your ... A: You need to check with your doctor about the results of the monitor. Most likely you are having ... | |
| Cholesterol results | 11/6/2008 |
| Q: I'm a 49 year-old-female in good physical condition, non-smoker, and a normal weight of 125 lbs. ... A: This is a borderline LDL cholesterol for someone with no atherosclerotic disease. Consider an EBT ... | |
| AV conduction | 10/19/2008 |
| Q: Doctor, I wish to know somehow if the av node is conducting again after the ablation. Would it ... A: If the ablation was at the AV node it should not conduct at all. If the ablation was in the atrium ... | |
| svt? | 10/18/2008 |
| Q: im 20 yrs old and since i was about 10 i have had a strange thing happen to me mostly when bending ... A: If your heart rate is really going up to 220/minute, it would be unlikely to be secondary to panic ... | |
| funny heart feeling | 10/17/2008 |
| Q: ok i am 23 years old i went into afib 2 years ago, i was put on rythmol 225 3 times daily, now i am ... A: The slowing down of your heart can cause you to become lightheaded. If it is slow enough and lasts ... | |
| LVEF and PVCs | 10/14/2008 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I am a 50 years old male with controllable hypertension. My cardiac stress was negative ... A: Isolated PVC's are generally not dangerous. If you are on a diuretic (water pill) for hypertension ... | |
| some diastolic dysfunction and some thickening | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: i first went to my family Dr due to shortness of breath even after mild exertion , just daily ... A: 120/80 is now considered the upper limits of normal. It may be that you have left ventricular ... | |
| PACs vs. PVCs, Coughing | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: I see many answers concerning PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) listed in the Q&A database, ... A: Isolated PAC's, in the absence of structural heart disease, do not require any specific treatment. ... | |
| racing heartbeat | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: Over the last month and 1/2 i have had unexplained racing heartbeat. One episode I was in the ... A: It sounds like you are having a problem with your heart rhythm. This cannot be properly evaluated ... | |
| Is it anxiety or something worse...198/98 BP | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: I am concerned that "stress" isnt completely to blame for my elevated BP. Docs keep saying that it ... A: The question is not if your BP is ever elevated, but how much of the time. The 24 hour BP monitor ... | |
| heart and blood pressure | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: I'm a 62 yr old male-excellent shape-run 2 marathons a year-hdl-50, ldl,83, trig.73...take diovan ... A: It is normal for BP to fluctuate even on medication. The more important question is not if it is ... | |
| Positive Stress Test | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: I am a 55YO WM 6'3" 195#. I have GOOD blood pressure and GOOD cholesterol (170) though I don't ... A: Given your symptoms and positive stress test it is likely that there is some blockage in a coronary ... | |
| Holter test implications | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: My doc really has not explained the results of my Holter test other than to say that I have ... A: There are quite a few extra beats with short salvos but no sustained runs. This is not overly ... | |
| life after heart attack | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: Pearl, I am so glad to find your site and hope you can give me some insight. My husband is now 57 ... A: There is no way for me to quantify his life expectancy. Life style changes work in conjunction with ... | |
| High Cholesterol and My heart | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: I've had high cholesterol since I was 19. I am 24 now and have been out of shape and overweight for ... A: Most likely this was an extra beat and/or another form of transient heart rhythm problem. It most ... | |
| CT Scan vs Stress Test | 9/11/2008 |
| Q: I had bypass surgery jan. 3, 2006. I was told I had 5 blockages. After surgery the doctors advised ... A: You already know that you have significant CAD. A stress test will give physiologic information and ... | |
| Is it arrhythmia? | 8/31/2008 |
| Q: I've been getting rather worried about my heart. I do have anxiety, but I don't really think it's ... A: In the absence of structural heart disease, isolated PVC's (without sustained runs) are generally ... | |
| Heart leak | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: I went for a physical a few days ago, I noticed the DR was spending a lot of time on my heart, he ... A: The most common minor "leakage" is related to mitral valve prolapse and is generally not serious and ... | |
| Toprol XL | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: I am on 25 mg Toprol XL generic 1x day. I have passed all tests. Hx: 55y/o male/previous episodic ... A: Tapering and discontinuing a medication for hypertension is unusual unless another treatment, such ... | |
| Stress Test Results | 7/19/2008 |
| Q: I had a stress test recently because of abnormal ecg and high blood pressure. The cardiologist sent ... A: The stress test sounds normal with probable breast and diaphragmatic attenuation. The LVH is most ... | |
| coronary calcium score | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: My lipid test done 10/23/2007 showed total cholesterol 218, Trig 218, HDL 58 and LDL 136. I have ... A: Given that you have early coronary artery disease, your cholesterol is too high. Your LDL should be ... | |
| nuclear stress test versus calicum score tst | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: i am 60 female, 5'61/2" 180lbs. with familial high cholesterol problems. deceased father-first ... A: In the absence of symptoms I would expect your stress test to be negative. If your calcium score is ... | |
| Crackles and Rales | 6/8/2008 |
| Q: Sorry, I wrote to you a few days ago and don't want to take up too much of your time, but can you ... A: Crackles (or rales, the same) are caused by fluid in the alveoli of the lungs which can be from a ... | |
| supraventricular ectopic events | 5/31/2008 |
| Q: Since I started simvastatin, I experienced during rests only something that felt like my heart is ... A: You need to discuss your medication with your personal physician. Your monitor did not report any ... | |
| mild aortic regurgtation | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: On a routine physical I was discovered to have a heart murmur and the echo folowwing showed I have ... A: Most people with mild aortic regurgitation can go on for a long time without surgery (I do not have ... | |
| Heart | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: I am a 31 year old male, no high blood pressure to my knowledge or high cholesterol problems. I have ... A: Most likely the slight increase in your heart rate was secondary to the anxiety and nausea/vomiting. ... | |
| chest pain | 5/8/2008 |
| Q: In advance, thank you for taking the time to help. I am a 32 year old female and have been taking ... A: There are multiple potential causes for chest pain, some cardiac, many non-cardiac. You need to go ... | |
| Angina | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I am 42 years old and i was getting severe palpitations, I was diagnosed with Stable Angina in May ... A: It sounds like you have early CAD which is not related to your symptoms. Your angiogram findings may ... | |
| svt | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: i am a 22 yr old medical student. whilst out celebrating my 22nd bday with some friends a couple of ... A: It is unlikely but possible that the hypokalemia caused the SVT. I would repeat the potassium. If it ... | |
| Dropping heart beats 12 -18 per minute | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: My self as an Artist, Age 54, height 6', weight 80kg., I am suffering with my irregular heart beats ... A: It is unlikely that your headaches and vomiting are cardiac related. You may wish to consider a ... | |
| heart | 4/27/2008 |
| Q: you just sent me a reply that you already answered my question before............I have never asked ... A: I did type out an answer. It must not have gone thru. I apologize. My reply was that people can live ... | |
| heart | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: Pearl- I am 44. I stopped smoking a couple of years ago and gained 40 pounds. I am not “fat” per ... A: a heart rate of 90-100 is still within the normal range and does not sound like anything of concern. ... | |
| SVT caused by Levoxyl? | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: I am someone who has been diagnosed with GAD and as a result take .5 mg of xanax when I am ... A: Although temporally related and possibly precipitated by the thyroid medication, I suspect that you ... | |
| sinus tachy | 3/29/2008 |
| Q: hi sir i have sinus tachy, my bpms at rest 95-120 i was given a full cardio workup including a ... A: I would look at your average heart rate on the Holter monitor, it may have been normal. Sinus ... | |
| Cholesterol test | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: I am a 28 year old male in good shape and I have a question regarding to cholesterol tests that I ... A: Your HDL is low and your LDL is at least mildly elevated. With a calcium score of zero there is no ... | |
| Heart rythm | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: About 5 months ago I started noticing forceful heart beats at times, but it happens randomly, ... A: Most likely what you are feeling are extra heart beats. Isolated extra heart beats in the absence of ... | |
| Thickened heart wall. | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: I had a physical and was told the the EKG was abnormal (high voltage). I was scheduled for a echo ... A: If it is not thickened secondary to hypertension, it could be a primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. ... | |
| Thickened heart wall. | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: I had a physical and was told the the EKG was abnormal (high voltage). I was scheduled for a echo ... A: Most likely your heart muscle is thickened secondary to high blood pressure which is like lifting ... | |
| "jolt" sensations in the chest | 3/18/2008 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I am a 23 year old female with generally good health, blood pressure, and BMI. The past ... A: Ask your cardiologist to consider a 24 hour Holter monitor to document your heart rhythm during ... | |
| Atrial fibrillation related to viral chest wall inflammation | 3/16/2008 |
| Q: On Feb. 15 of this year, I awoke with what felt like broken ribs in my sternum. I recognized this as ... A: Chest wall inflammation should not cause atrial fibrillation. The question is - what did? I wonder, ... | |
| PSVT attacks | 3/15/2008 |
| Q: I was diagnosed with PSVT about a month ago when it was finally caught on tape at the ER. I had ... A: SVT is generally not life-threatening. Atenolol is a very weak Beta blocker. Ask your doctor about ... | |
| Heart Skips | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: I am a 35 year old male who has noticed heart skips along with faster heart rate after eating large ... A: "Skips" are generally extra heart beats. They are often not serious and do not require treatment, ... | |
| Sinus Tachycardia | 3/9/2008 |
| Q: I am a 31 year old female and I found out today that I have sinus tachycardia. Is this something ... A: Sinus tachycardia is a normal fast heart beat that is secondary to something - anemia, ... | |
| Aspirin regimine | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: I would like to know what is the "accepted" Aspirin Mg level for an Aspirin Regimine, I have heard ... A: I apologize for taking so long to answer but I had a temporary health problem myself. 81 mg is the ... | |
| PVC's | 3/5/2008 |
| Q: I was told from a recent echo/stress test that my heart was normal. However, I've been having pvcs ... A: I apologize for taking so long to answer but I had a temporary health problem myself. Isolated PVC's ... | |
| Cardio-examination procedures - help.. | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: this is a serious question, and i am only highlighting this since i realise it could easily be ... A: I apologize for taking so long to answer but I had a temporary health problem myself. What you are ... | |
| heart murmurs and pinholes | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: pearl my husband has a V S D we took our 2 1/2 month old son to have an echo done they were ... A: I apologize for taking so long to answer but I had a temporary health problem myself. I am an adult ... | |
| Shortness of breath | 3/3/2008 |
| Q: Respected Sir, I am Kamlesh Joshi(age:39)from Bhopal(India). I stay at second floor in flat and ... A: I apologize for taking so long to answer but I had a temporary health problem myself. Given her age ... | |
| Ongoing chest discomfort & headaches despite no history and healthy lifestyle | 3/3/2008 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl. I'm 41, fit, eat well, don't smoke, drink rarely, exercise and outside of prostate ... A: I apologize for taking so long to answer but I had a temporary health problem myself. If you are ... | |
| Blood pressure | 2/29/2008 |
| Q: I am 50,no health issues,but overweight. I give blood on a regular basis,and the bp readings are ... A: Blood pressure can vary from minute to minute. It is much more important to know what your BP is ... | |
| Non Specific ST-T Wave Segments | 2/4/2008 |
| Q: I am a male, 46 yrs, good BP, cholesterol is combined 131, exercise 4-5 days a week (usually a 40 ... A: In the absence of symptoms, an Electron Beam Tomography would be a better screening test for early ... | |
| Mitral regurgitation follow up | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I've been diagnosed with mitral regurgitation before 7 days, and I've been on medications beta ... A: Your chest pain does not sound cardiac but you should discuss it with your personal cardiologist who ... | |
| Mitral Valve Prolapse | 2/1/2008 |
| Q: I'm a 45 year old female. I've been complaining to doctors for over a year that I have a lot of ... A: Your symptoms sound to be related to anxiety and not cardiac. There is nothing that you described ... | |
| Leaky heart valve | 1/8/2008 |
| Q: I am a 45 year old woman, I have had palpitations since my 2o's both Drs say its nothing, recently ... A: The most recent American Heart Association guidelines no longer recommend antibiotics for dental ... | |
| heart rate and bp | 1/3/2008 |
| Q: I'm 61, 6-2, 190, lifelong athlete, surfer, lifter, lean, muscular even now. 1. Doctors these days ... A: A transient heart rate of 160 in the absence of significant heart disease should not be a problem. ... | |
| High BP when standing/normail when sitting | 12/28/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, I'm a male, 59, 6'9" and 157 lbs. My cardiologist said I have high BP and enlarged heart, ... A: When talking about high blood pressure it is assumed to be in a resting state. I would doubt that ... | |
| Heavy heartbeat/ numerous other symptoms | 11/17/2007 |
| Q: I am 19, 140lbs., a smoker, but otherwise fairly healthy. For as long as I can remember I've had a ... A: Since your symptoms did not occur on the day that you wore the Holter monitor, ask your doctor (or ... | |
| heart disease and leg problems | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I want to ask you about my father in law, he is 69 and has had triple bypass about 10 years ago. For ... A: If it is related to the blockages in his legs it is related to his heart problem in that they are ... | |
| flutter madness | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: I have had: Blood Tests Nuclear Stress Test EKGs CT Heart Scan All of the medical tests above ... A: Ask your doctor about an Echo-Doppler study (if not done) to further assess cardiac anatomy and ... | |
| RAPID HEART RATE UPON AWAKENING | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: I am 41yo female 5'4" 110 lbs (have lost 5 lbs since this all started. I have been taking Toprol XL ... A: The rapid heart rate is most likely related to anxiety and does not require specific treatment. Ask ... | |
| strange chest pains | 11/11/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, i am 29 years old and i am a male nonsmoker, maybe 10 pounds overweight with no history of ... A: To complete your cardiac workup ask your doctor about an echo to exclude pericarditis. Most likely ... | |
| CT Heart Scan -vs- EBT Heart Scan | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: Which is the better scan for a calcium score and to detect any other possible heart blockage issues? ... A: An EBT is a better test for coronary calcification which is better to determine the presence of ... | |
| Stress Test Results and Mild LVH | 11/6/2007 |
| Q: Dr. I had a stress test recently because of abnormal ecg and high blood pressure. The cardiologist ... A: Having high blood pressure is like lifting weights for the heart. LVH (Left Ventricular Hypertrophy) ... | |
| Life Line Screening | 10/31/2007 |
| Q: Do you recommend screening (ultrasound scans for stroke/carotid artery, abdominal aortic aneurysm, ... A: You need to discuss the previous results with your personal physician. If they were truly normal ... | |
| Husband has CAD | 10/31/2007 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, My husband had his 1st heart attack in 11/2000 age 50 and his 2nd one in 9/2007. He was ... A: From what you describe the optimal treatment would be medical not surgical. Ask his cardiologist ... | |
| SVT, AV Block, Pacemaker & PVCs | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: When I was 28 (1996) I had an ablation for SVT (runs in family)....however, I needed a pacemaker for ... A: This will unfortunately be trial and error. You could ask your cardiologist about switching to a ... | |
| lab results | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: My labs show high RDW, low MCV, borderline low Iron, Serum, high Bun/Creatine Ratio, High Bun, high ... A: It certainly sounds like there is room for improvement. You need to discuss these results with your ... | |
| SVT, AV Block, Pacemaker & PVCs | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: When I was 28 (1996) I had an ablation for SVT (runs in family)....however, I needed a pacemaker for ... A: Isolated PAC's and PVC's are generally not dangerous despite whether you feel them or not. You most ... | |
| palpitations and hypothyrodism | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: im a 52 female ,recently diagnosed hypothyroid ,im taking thyoxine 50 mcg. also peroxidase antibody ... A: There is nothing that you described that is alarming. Unfortunately, if you are having palpitations ... | |
| Chest Pains | 10/26/2007 |
| Q: 29 year old male with family history of heart disease... grandparents, father, uncle. ex smoker for ... A: Your symptoms sound to be more likely secondary to reflux than heart disease. Since you have not ... | |
| Heart flutter | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: I am a 15 year old female. I have been having "heart flutters" ever since I started advair last ... A: If your resting heart rate is 106 and regular it most likely is related to your anxiety and/or the ... | |
| Heart palpitations | 10/21/2007 |
| Q: I'm 24 years old and back in Feb 07 had a stress test done which showed that everything was fine. My ... A: It sounds like you are having isolated extra beats which, in the absence of structural heart ... | |
| heart "flutters" | 10/16/2007 |
| Q: I am a 33 year old female with great blood pressure. I exercise regularly and am not overweight. I ... A: It sounds like you are having a problem with your heart rhythm. Since it does not occur every day, ... | |
| 10yr old with palpatations | 10/13/2007 |
| Q: Recently my daughter has complained of her heart beating fast, but today she told me if feels like ... A: I am an adult cardiologist. This question should be directed to a pediatric cardiologist. She may ... | |
| High Blood Pressure | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: I am 74, and my blood pressure seems to range from 140/80 to 190/100. I am taking 50 mg of Toprol. ... A: 120/80 is now considered the upper limits of normal. In light of your symptoms with additional ... | |
| effects of 6 or more beers every night | 9/27/2007 |
| Q: My husband drinks 6 or more beers every single night. This bothers me a great deal and angers him ... A: I cannot give you any specific articles to read but you should obtain good information by Googling ... | |
| nocturnal arrhythmia | 9/26/2007 |
| Q: I've had several episodes of evening or nocturnal arrhythmia lately. I'm 55, good cardiac health, no ... A: 78/minute is generally normal unless it was skipping beats or chaotic. If there continues to be a ... | |
| Skipping beats increasing -very anxious | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: Over the past years they became more frequent and I was started on beta blockers which helped every ... A: The risk of a stress test is minimal, as is driving on I-95. A stress test is not something to worry ... | |
| My echo | 9/20/2007 |
| Q: I am a 66 year old female and had an echo done. I have moderately leaking of the mitral valve, ... A: Your mild pulmonary hypertension, if truly present, is most likely secondary to the mitral ... | |
| cholesterol /statin probs, pvcs, menopause | 9/1/2007 |
| Q: I am a 44 y.o. female, have always exercised, eat no meat except for salmon for many years, never ... A: In light of your episodes of dizziness and PVC's, ask your doctor about arranging an event recorder. ... | |
| Heart disease | 9/1/2007 |
| Q: Clinical History:- A 43 year old man a known case of IHD, who had an anterior MI (SK+) in 2003 and ... A: It sounds like you have had 2 heart attacks with permanent damage and minimal surrounding stress ... | |
| Exercise & recovering | 8/31/2007 |
| Q: After nearly 2 years I have decided to go back to the gym to get fit. I'm 40yo, 5ft9 & weigh 224ibs ... A: There may be nothing wrong other than you are out of shape. You need to discuss this with your ... | |
| angina or shingles and nitroglycerin | 8/30/2007 |
| Q: I experienced severe jaw pain playing tennis five years ago. A stress test/ thallium test showed a ... A: If you are having chest pain related to exertion and different from your shingles pain it is ... | |
| mild blockages | 8/29/2007 |
| Q: Frank, I recently had a heart scan which indicated that I had a "mild to Moderate blockage" of an ... A: Ask your doctor about an advanced lipid/metabolic profile from the Berkeley HeartLab. By optimizing ... | |
| chest discomfort after excercise | 8/29/2007 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl. I am a 33 y/o male, non-smoker (though I used to smoke), and I exercise regularly, ... A: The discomfort is most likely musculoskeletal and not related to MVP. Ask your doctor to arrange a ... | |
| Chest Pain | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: I'm Male/24 years/166 cms and 48 kgs, Lean built & just married. 1. For the past couple of years, ... A: 1 - Not serious 2 - Not likely but possible over many years or decades 3 - Most likely ... | |
| Heart Rate Variance | 8/25/2007 |
| Q: I am a 56 yr.old male, former college athlete, 6' 245 lbs. My resting heart rate is 68 and I had a ... A: In the absence of symptoms such as dizziness when you stand up and with a normal general physical ... | |
| HDL | 8/23/2007 |
| Q: I am 20 years old and just recently had my annual check up. My HDL came back at 30. My doctor told ... A: You definitely need to stop smoking. If there is a family history of coronary disease The low HDL is ... | |
| Heart Palpitations and Hard Beats Caused by Ritalin? | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: My name is Abigail and I am a 23 year old. I am about 128 pounds and I exercise 6 days a week for ... A: Most likely you are having isolated extra beats. These are generally not serious in the absence of ... | |
| Chest Pain | 8/21/2007 |
| Q: My husband has reoccuring chest pain. The most recent incident was Saturday while waiting for ... A: If he is continuing to have chest pain, he should consider a CT angiogram. If that is negative, his ... | |
| pvc's in transplanted patient | 8/20/2007 |
| Q: I am female, 45, w/kidney transplant ('94) and have been experiencing pvc's that are so strong I ... A: Isolated PVC's are generally not serious, even if you feel them, in the absence of structural heart ... | |
| Annual Physical | 8/20/2007 |
| Q: What is the usual length of time for you routine cardiology vist. I have never been on an annual ... A: Appropriate cardiology follow up varies according to the underlying heart condition. It can vary ... | |
| PVC's or not | 8/17/2007 |
| Q: I have had PVCs for a long time...usually they would show up for a week or so and then go away. I ... A: Isolated PVC's are generally not considered serious in the absence of structural heart disease. Have ... | |
| bubbling around the heart | 8/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm am 26 years of age and have experienced a bubbling sensation around my heart. My first episode ... A: It is not clear whether the "bubbling" is cardiac or possibly GI. Ask your cardiologist about ... | |
| heart murmurs | 8/15/2007 |
| Q: I went to the cardiologist and found out that i had an innocent heart murmur, but recently i have ... A: A murmur is a noise that can become louder or softer depending on a number of factors such as blood ... | |
| What specialty is needed? | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: Thyroidectomy 1993 (Cancer); 225 mmg Synthroid qd. 2002 Cholesterol 35/103/93 (HDL/LDL/TH) Glucose ... A: Most likely you should be doing low carbs for the hypertriglyceridemia which can lead to a heart ... | |
| Bicuspid Aortic Valve and Enlarged Aortic Root | 8/13/2007 |
| Q: My 18 year son has a bicusipd aortic valve. He just had an echo done that is showing he has an ... A: This is not something that can be properly answered over the Web. You may wish to obtain a second ... | |
| 2nd Opinion on ECG stress test & Ritalin question | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: I am a 30yr old male with family history of CHD (father had heart attack at 53). I am 5' 8" and ... A: Your stress test sounds "OK" and the EKG does not seem to be a problem. Your cholesterol is much too ... | |
| Echo Results | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: Need your thoughts, I received a copy of my echo from last week and everything looks good within ... A: Ask your doctor about a 24 hour BP monitor to quantitate the percentage of time that your BP is ... | |
| Echo Results | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: Need your thoughts, I received a copy of my echo from last week and everything looks good within ... A: This could be secondary to hypertension. You need to make sure that your BP is optimized. Normal BP ... | |
| Atenolol and Ectopic Beats | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: Pearl: I'm 62 years old and had an episode of paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation in 1997. I took ... A: You need an evaluation to look for and treat any underlying structural heart disease. Atenolol ... | |
| Internal defibrillators | 7/16/2007 |
| Q: My echo shows my ejection fraction as 30-35%. This the second one. Now they recommend that I see an ... A: If your EF is 30% despite good medical therapy a defibrillator may be beneficial. Ask the ... | |
| Stint | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: My husband is in excellent mental and physical condition (never has smoked; exercises 5x/week; no ... A: Besides what you mentioned, other risk factors include diabetes, low HDL, and high triglycerides. ... | |
| Ablation Complication | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: My daughter, 36, had ablation the first time in June 2005 due to Supraventricular Tachycardia. The ... A: Although she is feeling her heart beat what you described is not dangerous at the present time. Ask ... | |
| New PDA Patch is from Human Tissue? | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I just learned that there are two kinds of patches for the PDA surgery - artificial patch and the ... A: You can check with a pediatric cardiologist who would see this more frequently. My understanding is ... | |
| Holter Monitor results | 6/22/2007 |
| Q: I have 2 questions. I am wondering if a holtter moniter can detect CAD , i was told to exercise with ... A: These are all different tests looking for different types of abnormalities. A 64 slice CT for ... | |
| cholesterol | 6/18/2007 |
| Q: I'm 55, 5'1, weigh 110. My cholesterol went up this year from 209 to 214. And the ldl is the only ... A: Your LDL is moderately elevated. Depending on your risk factors for coronary artery disease ... | |
| 3-D Echocardiography | 6/16/2007 |
| Q: My primary care physician is a Board Certified Internist. I have been seeing him (every 6 months) ... A: You most likely have a minimal leakage of your heart valves that does not require treatment and most ... | |
| supraventricular extrasystoles | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: I have been having a slow heart rate (40's to 50's) for about the past 2 weeks and my blood pressure ... A: Low cortisol levels can lead to hypovolemia which could produce your symptoms. If you are truly ... | |
| coronary artery calcification | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: I was recently told that I have significant coronary artery calcification, after having a CAT Scan ... A: You need aggressive treatment of your cholesterol and BP. Your LDL should at least be under 100 and ... | |
| Heart palps | 5/31/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, I am male, 57 years old and 6', and 240 lbs. I have been having very noticable heart palps ... A: Isolated PVC's in the absence of structural heart disease are generally not a serious problem. Ask ... | |
| Hospital? | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: I've been having strange feelings/pain in my chest the last few weeks. I don't have health ... A: At your age it would be unlikely (although not impossible)that your pain is cardiac. You should ... | |
| Heart Pain, fine EKG... | 5/23/2007 |
| Q: So I've been having chest pain since last year. It used to be once in a while, more during the ... A: This is not something that can be properly evaluated over the Web. Most nocturnal chest pain is ... | |
| LVH | 5/10/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, First of all thank you for your time and your expertise. Both are greatly appreciated. ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. Sleep apnea causes hypertension which can cause ... | |
| Cardiology | 5/9/2007 |
| Q: I'm a female, 30 years old. The past 2 years I started experiencing extreme chest pain. 3 of the ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. At age 30 it is unlikely but not inconceivable ... | |
| Cholesterolemia | 5/8/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, Could I get your opinion on Vytorin and Niaspan? My cardiologist recently prescribed these ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. The biggest percentage HDL elevation occurs with ... | |
| mitral valve prolapse & torn chord | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: Have had heart murmur first discovered 12 yrs ago. I am 58 yrs of age. About 10 days ago, I had an ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. Hopefully it can be repaired. You should have ... | |
| slow pulse unusual, other symptoms | 5/3/2007 |
| Q: Recently my very healthy vegan(20 yrs) husband, always younger appearing than his age of 65, has ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. The tests that your doctor ordered seems like a ... | |
| Calcium score and follow up | 5/2/2007 |
| Q: In 2000 I had a CT scan which showed a calcium score of 39 all in the LAD. Two weeks ago I had a CT ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. That is only a minimal increase in 7 year but it ... | |
| complete heart block | 5/1/2007 |
| Q: sir my mother age 72 her heart ecg indicate complete heart block but clinicaly she has not any ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. The only appropriate treatment for a slow heart ... | |
| Many PVCs in a Row | 5/1/2007 |
| Q: Over the last 6 months, they have become more pronounced, and in the last month or so they have ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. I was sick myself. I meant to write "worse in the past year" rather ... | |
| VPC | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: Respected Sir, I have a problem regarding my father. He is now 65 years old. For last 15 years he ... A: He needs some form of stress testing, preferably with exercise if he is able or, if not, ... | |
| Pulse, Blood Pressure Fluctuation, Neck Tightness, Chest Soreness | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: My question is three fold. 1) I have been experiencing, while I lay on my left arm or have it above ... A: The fact that you feel your pulse is of no clinical significance. Blood pressure can vary. It really ... | |
| Nonspecific inferior t wave abnormalities | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: I recently went to an immediate care center because I was having shortness of breath, chest ... A: Non-specific means exactly that - non-specific. There are many possible causes including low ... | |
| PPCM | 4/28/2007 |
| Q: I was diagnosed with Peripartumcardiomyopathy in 2000. My current EF is down from last yr and now ... A: You need to discuss this with your personal cardiologist who will know all of the details of your ... | |
| pvcs in tall thin people with depressed sternum? | 4/26/2007 |
| Q: I was told by an old cardiologist in the 80's that the missed beats I felt were pvcs and that they ... A: Pectus excavatum (depressed sternum) is associated with mitral valve prolapse which is most likely ... | |
| Sinus tachycardia | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: I'm a 27yr old female. Have been treated for high blood pressure since birth of first child in 05. ... A: Sinus tachycardia less than 120/min is generally not a serious problem and is usually secondary to ... | |
| Many PVCs in a Row | 4/22/2007 |
| Q: Over the last 6 months, they have become more pronounced, and in the last month or so they have ... A: The fact the PVC's are new in the past year is concerning. I would not do any strenuous activity ... | |
| heart papitations | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: I am 34 years old and have had heart papitations for a couple of years.It feels like my heart is ... A: Many patients have isolated extra beats that they feel and not not normal but not serious. They do ... | |
| Skipped beats | 4/19/2007 |
| Q: I am 27, 5'4", and 115 lbs. I have very mild mvp found by echo and was advised not even to worry ... A: The fact that you feel it several times per day does not make it more serious. When you are feeling ... | |
| Skipped beats | 4/17/2007 |
| Q: I am 27, 5'4", and 115 lbs. I have very mild mvp found by echo and was advised not even to worry ... A: Infrequent, isolated extra beats are generally not a serious problem, particularly in the absence of ... | |
| dizzy | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: I am becoming dizzy immediatly after I urinate. Last less than i minute. I have noticed my pulse ... A: It sounds like you have a mild case of post-micturation syncope. You need to be evaluated by your ... | |
| Health question.. | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: Greetings, I guess I will just jump to it.. I have had a couple of episodes that have resulted in ... A: It sounds like you are having some type of cardiac arrhythmia, either on an independent basis or ... | |
| Sinus Tach vs Aflutter 2:1 Av block | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: I recently had 24 holter test and results show rare PVC's episodes of SVT, "sinus tach vs aflutter ... A: There is a big difference between sinus tach and atrial flutter. Vs means that the reader of the ... | |
| PVC'S | 4/13/2007 |
| Q: I have a lot of pvc's and they have me set for surgery and an implant of a de'fibulator yet they ... A: If you have long runs of PVC's a defibrillator would be appropriate. If your ejection fraction is ... | |
| syncope/skipped beats/irregular beats | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: i am a 24 year old female, three weeks ago i was walking calmly down the street when my heart ... A: The idea is too see if you can reproduce the problem and therefore make the diagnosis. Only then can ... | |
| Racing heart not improving despite exercise program? | 4/10/2007 |
| Q: I'm concerned about some possible heart symptoms and am wondering if I need to be a little more ... A: Although probably not serious, it is not normal to have extra beats. Also, you need to know why you ... | |
| heart attack risk | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: My family has a history of heart disease and heart attack deaths before age 55. I have extremely ... A: I would doubt that non-invasive testing would be beneficial at your age. Given your family history, ... | |
| my Pop | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: Grandfather 93 yrs old- receiving dialysis 3 times week, congestive hearet failure with 38% heart ... A: You will need to ask his personal physicians who will know all of the details of his case. This set ... | |
| Vascular Age Test | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: "I recently went to a free screening put on by our local Medical Center and had a Vascular Age Test ... A: This does not sound like anything serious or emergent. You do have early atherosclerosis and need to ... | |
| Strong Heart Beat | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: I am a 36 year old male in good health. BP is normal. However, increasingly I have been very aware ... A: The fact that you hear or feel your heart beating does not make it abnormal. As long as it is ... | |
| heart palpitations | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: I have recently moved out of state and haven't started seeing a cardiologist again yet due to my ... A: This is not something that can be properly addressed in this setting. My suggestion would be to ... | |
| Mitral Regurgitation | 3/31/2007 |
| Q: I was diagnosed as a young teen (now 29) with Mitral Valve Prolapse with +2(?) regurgitation. Ever ... A: Mitral valve prolapse is something that you are born with and do not "outgrow." Assuming that your ... | |
| Palpitations | 3/29/2007 |
| Q: I am a 46 year old female, normal blood pressure not sure of cholesterol. Family history of heart ... A: If you wore a Holter monitor that did not reveal any abnormalities then you may not have had them ... | |
| Perfusion Study | 3/27/2007 |
| Q: I am only 46 years old. Two yeas ago, on checkup I mentioned chest pain (feels like a muscle cramp ... A: The report and interpretation seem to be in conflict. Ask your doctor about an EBT (Electron Beam ... | |
| visable abdoninal Pulsation | 3/23/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, I have been experiencing frequent heart arrythmias. SVT's. Most of these start and stop on ... A: The abdominal pulsation does not sound likely to be anything of significance. Your recurrent ... | |
| pvc's | 3/19/2007 |
| Q: I have been experiencing symptomatic PVC's since Nov. 2006. I have 3,000+ extra beats a day. I have ... A: If your PVC's are isolated and there is no evidence of significant underlying structural heart ... | |
| High pulse count | 3/14/2007 |
| Q: Few months ago it was noticed by our doctor, that my pulse count is fairly high between 86-88 any ... A: A normal heart rate is considered 60-100. Assuming that you had a normal exam and normal blood work ... | |
| Cholesterolemia | 2/12/2007 |
| Q: Pearl, Could I get your opinion on Vytorin and Niaspan? My cardiologist recently prescribed these ... A: I like Niaspan to raise your HDL and which will also lower your LDL. Wait for your next profile. If ... | |
| 2 questions | 2/12/2007 |
| Q: I had an interesting conversation between my wife and two friends about this illness. My wife and ... A: 1 - Stress, physical or emotional can precipitate a heart attack in a patient with underlying ... | |
| guidance | 2/7/2007 |
| Q: My mother aged 73 years has IHD and HBP.she was on carvedilol 12.5 losartan 100 isosorbide ... A: You need to discuss this with her personal cardiologist who will know all of the details of her ... | |
| Aorta | 2/5/2007 |
| Q: I went to a chiropractor for lower back pain and cervical pain and had some exrays taken.Well the ... A: You have evidence of atherosclerosis. The question then becomes - is it having a significant effect ... | |
| left posterior fascicular block | 1/30/2007 |
| Q: with no incidents. Following recent symptoms of shortness of breath I have had an abnormal ECG ... A: The LPFB (as is the atrial fibrillation) is a problem with the electrical system of your heart. You ... | |
| Tachycardia? | 1/22/2007 |
| Q: I'm a 20 year old girl that weighs about 115-120 pounds. Today I experienced my heart suddenly beat ... A: A sudden onet of a very rapid heart beat is abnormal. It would depend on how fast it is. If you get ... | |
| obese patients | 1/17/2007 |
| Q: A: An Adenosine stress test or a stress-echo are not very sensitive for finding early coronary disease. ... | |
| Hypertension and PVCs | 1/16/2007 |
| Q: I am a 44 y/o man with hypertension x 10 yrs who has developed infrequent palpitations. 6'3" 270# ... A: The PVC's most likely are related to the hypertension and thickening of the heart which carries a ... | |
| Atrial Fib | 1/12/2007 |
| Q: Doctor Pearl: I am male, 6-1, 195 lbs, 53 years of age, and in good shape. About 6 weeks ago I had a ... A: 1 -If it remains effective then I would guess that you will be on it for the foreseeable future. 2- ... | |
| Heart Disease and Medications | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: I have a History of a MI in 2001, after 4 angioplastys I have 5 stents. I have HBP, angina, High ... A: Worsening (unstable) angina is often a precursor to a heart attack. If at all possible you need to ... | |
| statin | 1/8/2007 |
| Q: I am hypertensive male aged 47 years. Three years back, I had a blood tests of Homcystein Lp(a) ... A: Ask you doctor about an EBT (Electron Beam Tomography) to look for coronary calcification. If your ... | |
| HEART ATTACK | 1/3/2007 |
| Q: My question is how commom is it for a 28 year female to have a heart attack.My reason for question ... A: I "heart attack" (myocardial infarction) is a specific heart problem that can cause sudden death. ... | |
| Exercise Heart Rate | 12/30/2006 |
| Q: 1. Is 185-192 bpm too high for a heart rate? 2. If that is too high, should I see a doctor or ... A: 1 - That heart rate should not be a problem for someone your age 2 - See #1 3 - It can raise your ... | |
| IRRETIC HEART BEAT | 12/27/2006 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl HI, I need your help, my mom is 82 and is in very good shape except for an Erratic Heart ... A: This is not something that can be properly discussed over the Web. Without knowing a lot more ... | |
| Cardiac related? | 12/26/2006 |
| Q: Just a bit of background: female, 50, aortic valve replacement and aneurysm repair in 1999, on ... A: Your symptoms sound more cardiac, possibly heart rhythm related, although they could be vertigo. You ... | |
| Palpitations & MVP | 12/15/2006 |
| Q: I am a 26 year old male from NYC. 6', 160lbs. I eat very healthy and am in good shape. Triglycerides ... A: Isolated extra beats generally do not require treatment. If you are having runs of extra beats you ... | |
| Heart question | 12/14/2006 |
| Q: What does "possible ventricular preexcitation inferior + septal T wave changes BORDERLINE ABNORMAL ... A: Possible and borderline can also be interpreted a "normal." You need to ask your personal physician ... | |
| Right-Sided Heart Failure | 12/4/2006 |
| Q: I have recently had an episode of severe chest pain which I went to the emergency room for and was ... A: An isolated elevated bilirubin is most likely secondary to Gilbert's syndrome. With what I presume ... | |
| circulation issue. dad | 12/3/2006 |
| Q: Doctor: my father age 74 recently had some double vision which lasted about 4 hours and he stated ... A: He should consider a neuro-ophthalmology consultation to determine the cause - ? transient ischemic ... | |
| non sustained V-tach | 11/17/2006 |
| Q: currently treated with statins. I developed PVCs 4 years ago and the other day, a holter picked up ... A: Ask you doctor about an EBT to assess coronary calcification and the presence of coronary artery ... | |
| Dizziness, different blood pressures in arms | 11/17/2006 |
| Q: My friend Bill has high blood pressure and is taking Lisoprinol. He has periods of ... A: It would depend on the degree of difference and its reproducibility. His blood pressure should be ... | |
| LVH & SOB when doing cardio exercises | 11/15/2006 |
| Q: Suddenly,about 5yrs ago, while on a long-time cardio exercise program, I became unable to to do it ... A: With a normal angiogram (and I assume otherwise normal cath) and only borderline LVH it does not ... | |
| PVC's and pregnancy | 11/14/2006 |
| Q: I am 30yrs old and 18wks pregnant with triplets. About a 2 months into my pregnancy I started ... A: Most patients have an occasional extra beat that is not serious and does not require treatment. You ... | |
| heart palpitations | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: I am a healthy 38 year old woman who recently noticed an increase in my heart rate and a fluttering ... A: This does not sound normal. There seems to be a problem with your heart rhythm. You should see your ... | |
| enlarged heart and kidney transplant | 11/8/2006 |
| Q: i have a very dear friend who is only 27 years old and is receiving dialysis due to his loss of ... A: This is not a good combination of problems. I would not expect him to have a normal life expectancy. ... | |
| Interpreting echocardiograph result ! | 11/6/2006 |
| Q: Frank, I' a 76 yr old frail, emaciated, male weighing 45 kg, with a persistent blood presure of ... A: The echo confirmed that your heart is not enlarged. You have mild to moderate leakage of two valves. ... | |
| atrial fibbrilation | 11/2/2006 |
| Q: Within the last year three people I am good friends with ranging in age from 59 - 78 have had knee ... A: Atrial fibrillation can certainly lead to blood clots and strokes. I am unaware of any correlation ... | |
| Not Sure What's Going On | 10/30/2006 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I wasn't sure where to go with my question, I am also going to send it to some one who ... A: You did not ask a question but based on your symptoms it may be that you are having an abnormal ... | |
| Fathers death | 10/26/2006 |
| Q: for taking my question. My father passed away back in April and I am having trouble figuring out ... A: This is not something that can be properly answered over the Web. From what you described, your Dad ... | |
| clogged arteries | 10/26/2006 |
| Q: my fiance went to the Doctors and he listened to he listened to my fiances heart with a stesascope ... A: A blocked artery in the neck would not cause difficulty with breathing. However, patients who have ... | |
| chest pains | 10/10/2006 |
| Q: I am a 30 year old woman in pretty good halth. For the pst week I have had a littel shortness of ... A: Since you have been having discomfort for over a week, a formal evaluation would be appropriate. ... | |
| pac's &pac's early afternoons to mid evenings | 10/2/2006 |
| Q: A recent holter monitor test revealed 688 pvc's and 901 pac's. however they nearly always start to ... A: Premature beats usaully occur in the setting of some type of structural heart disease (which may not ... | |
| atrial flutter and thyroxine | 9/27/2006 |
| Q: i am 43yrs old and female - take thyroxine for underactive thyroid i have had 2 very short episodes ... A: Excess thyroid generally does not cause atrial flutter in a normal heart but it may have been the ... | |
| stress | 9/26/2006 |
| Q: I am 51 years old and have been to a heart doctor. After the stress test and nucler test he was ... A: If you are having shortness of breath with actitity it is not strictly because of stress. If that is ... | |
| PVC and slow heartbeat | 9/21/2006 |
| Q: Pearl I am a 55 year old male in good health. I have been aware for several years that I have a PVC ... A: In the absence of symptoms, a stress test most likely will be negative. Ask your doctor about an EBT ... | |
| bypass and pvc's | 9/21/2006 |
| Q: I am a 54 year old male , 5'10 and i weigh 182 pounds who had a double bypass surgery about 6 years ... A: PVC's that decrease with exercise are generally not dangerous. Patients who had coronary artery ... | |
| Skipped Heart Beats | 9/20/2006 |
| Q: Last week I had skipped beats that lasted about 30 hours then stopped. My blood pressure and rate ... A: What you are describing in a 44 year old does not sound normal. It may not be serious, but there is ... | |
| Pulse too low | 8/31/2006 |
| Q: I tried to donate blood today and they wouldn't let me as my pulse was 40 twice and 38 once. I take ... A: In the absence of symptoms, a heart rate of 40 does not require any specific treatment. It is ... | |
| Strong heart beat and breathlessness | 8/30/2006 |
| Q: Since christmas I took a pantothenic acid supplement to help boost my testosterone, this effectively ... A: The are multiple possible causes, from the benign to the serious. This is not something that can be ... | |
| Electrophysiology and PVC's | 8/30/2006 |
| Q: I have recently found out that I have frequent PVC's. During a 24 hour holter I had 22 thousand. I ... A: You will have to ask this question of your cardiologist who will know all of the details of your ... | |
| Low Blood Pressure | 8/25/2006 |
| Q: Dr. Doctor Pearl, I am experiencing very low blood pressure: 92/60 to 89/58; laying down my ... A: It does not sound like you are having a problem. There is "no such thing as low blood pressure" in ... | |
| Chest Pain | 8/24/2006 |
| Q: I am 19 years old and I have been smoking for 3 years...for the past 6 months I have had constant ... A: With 6 months of constant chest pain and a normal EKG it would be unlikely to be cardiac. You need ... | |
| SVT | 8/23/2006 |
| Q: I am 24 and recently diagnosed with SVT. I am not sure why it started. I litterally woke up one ... A: You will need to ask your personal cardiologist (who will know all of the details of your case) ... | |
| The heart - diastolic dysfunction | 8/22/2006 |
| Q: What is diastolic dysfunction? Will exercise, deep breathing, and losing weight improve the ... A: Diastolic dysfunction means that the heart is stiff and difficult to fill (like some balloons at a ... | |
| wpw | 8/1/2006 |
| Q: CAN DRINKING A LARGE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL EFFECT WPD? CAN IT MAKE WPD SYMPTOMS WORSE? ARE THERE ... A: Alcohol can be an irritant to the heart and thereby precipitate an arrhythmia in a patient with WPW. ... | |
| left block | 7/30/2006 |
| Q: age 71 good health. no medications. Only this years physical showed abnormal ecg. never before. ... A: Whether you are referring to a left bundle branch block or a left anterior hemi-block treatment ... | |
| Preventing heart disease | 7/30/2006 |
| Q: Heart disease runs in my family heavily. When is it too late to prevent it? I smoked for 7 years ... A: Depending on your age, you should ask your doctor about a 64 slice CT to look for coronary ... | |
| leaking valve, nuclear stress test | 7/28/2006 |
| Q: After a yearly echo, I was told I had a valve leaking. I am scheduled for a nuclear stress test. I ... A: The repair of leaking heart valves, if necessary, requires surgery. A stress test is generally safe ... | |
| knowledge | 7/28/2006 |
| Q: 1. How many years of medical school does one have to go to for a regualar specialist, in ... A: Medical school is 4 years. Specialization via a residency and possibly a fellowship is another 3-7 ... | |
| Blindness in one eye after 4 bypass heart surgery | 7/26/2006 |
| Q: My brother-in-law (65 yrs old), juvenile diabetic for 52 yrs, smoker for 48 yrs., took no other ... A: Temporally this sounds like a surgical complication but there are multiple other potential causes. ... | |
| leaky aortic valve | 7/24/2006 |
| Q: I been diagnose with artic leaky valve due bicuspid valve when I was 11 years old.Now my concern is ... A: The enlargement of your heart may well be due to the leakage of the aortic valve. There is not ... | |
| pacemaker | 7/22/2006 |
| Q: Dr.Pearl, I would like your opinion on this matter. My 87 year old mother in law has resided in an ... A: If she is having prolonged pauses a pacemaker, which is a relatively minor procedure, may well be ... | |
| Unexplained chest pain | 7/20/2006 |
| Q: My husband went to the ER on Sunday, July 9 with chest pain. He was kept over night. He had 4 ... A: If he has had days of chest pain without it completely resolving in combination with normal EKG's, ... | |
| PVC's | 7/16/2006 |
| Q: I am 25, 5'4" tall, 40 pounds overweight and my BP runs on the low side (90/50 most days). I have ... A: It your tests are all truly normal it may well not require any treatment. Given your concern, there ... | |
| Can you have a heart attack without any pain? | 7/16/2006 |
| Q: My husband has had three heart attacks. Twice he had stents put in and one time he had By-Pass X3. ... A: This does not sound like a heart attack but you should notifiy his cardiologist. It sounds like he ... | |
| Heart palpitations | 7/9/2006 |
| Q: I'm a 33 y.o healthy non smoking, ideal weight female, have had heart palpitations for about 10-12 ... A: It sounds like you are having an occasional isolated premature beat which is generally not serious. ... | |
| Enlarged heart | 7/7/2006 |
| Q: How serious is an enlarged heart in a senior citized and can the problem be reversed? I exercise in ... A: Depending on the cause and severity it can be a serious problem. Again, depending on the cause, it ... | |
| Heart Failure and Thyroid meds | 6/22/2006 |
| Q: Pearl, I have congestive heart failure,cardio myopathy,diastolic dysfunction,EF 30 %.I also have ... A: Your endocrinologist will be able to check the appropriateness of your dose. Also follow up with ... | |
| tga/vsd | 6/22/2006 |
| Q: my son now aged 4 years did have tga/vsd. he was a blue baby. the operation was apparently 100% ... A: It does not sound like you have anything to worry about but I am an adult cardiologist. You should ... | |
| HBP | 6/20/2006 |
| Q: QMy daughter aged 13 years had typical chest pain and palpitation and on examination cardiologist ... A: Mitral valve prolapse is very common, particularly in females and generally does not require ... | |
| study question | 5/23/2006 |
| Q: I am confused by this study and the numbers in it. Can you help? If you could make me understand ... A: Someone with a LBBB is more likely to have significant structural heart disease and therefore is at ... | |
| Hello Doctor, I am a 26... | 5/23/2006 |
| Q: I am a 26 year old female, with svt, but it does not happen to me often. The reason that I am ... A: Stress may contribute to the deveopment of coronary disease over years and decades. It probably will ... | |
| cardiolite results | 5/17/2006 |
| Q: 32-smoker-overweight-diabetes type 2-high blood pressure-high cholesterol can you tell me what these ... A: Unless this is a false positive stress test, it suggests blockage in a coronary artery going to the ... | |
| excess andrenaline | 5/7/2006 |
| Q: i've been to a cardiologist and an internal med doctor. i am what you consider Type A, 43 yrs old, ... A: Since you have high cholesterol and chest tightness, ask your doctor about an EBT ( Electron Beam ... | |
| Persistant pain from heart area. | 5/6/2006 |
| Q: I am a black British male of 26, 58kg and 178cm.The pain I have started off as a sharp stab when ... A: If your rib cage is tender, then it sounds like you have costochondritis - an inflammation of the ... | |
| heart attack | 4/30/2006 |
| Q: sir, what is the difference between a mild,moderate, and massive heart attack,how is it treated.? ... A: The size of the heart attack refers to the amount of permanent heart muscle damage. The larger the ... | |
| Endoscopy | 4/29/2006 |
| Q: My 90 y.o. mother, with severe mitral valve prolapse, was hospitalized with a coumadin level of 6.7, ... A: You need to know if she has an ulcer, a polyp or something else which lead to her anemia in order to ... | |
| occ hypertension | 4/27/2006 |
| Q: how can we acertain the reason of occassional dis-comfort without chest pain but occ at that time ... A: A BP of 120/80 is now considered normal. 130/90 is at least borderline high. You should ask your ... | |
| MVP | 4/8/2006 |
| Q: Several years I was diagnosed with MVP, but I have no symptoms. For many years I jogged, but at age ... A: You have had the MVP since you wre born. You need to check with your personal cardiologist but I ... | |
| Foramen Ovale (PFO) | 2/24/2006 |
| Q: In someone that has been diagnosed with this, are there any symptoms that may accompany PFO? Would ... A: PFO's are generally asymptomatic. There is a small incidence of stroke and it is generally ... | |
| oral chelation therapy | 2/20/2006 |
| Q: I am 78. Male. I had an extremely serious MI 25 years ago. Left ventrical half dead. At time of MI, ... A: There is no objective data to say that chelation therapy is beneficial. The one controlled trial of ... | |
| blocked arteries | 2/13/2006 |
| Q: my brother in law has been diagnosed with 5 blockages and they said he needs open heart surgery one ... A: As long as he is stable and asymptomatic from a cardiac standpoint the bypass can be postponed until ... | |
| Catherization | 2/12/2006 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, First of all, thank you for giving your time to answer my questions. I am a 61 year ... A: The existing plaque is compressed against the wall of the vessel by the balloon and stent making the ... | |
| Hi Thank you for taking... | 2/5/2006 |
| Q: I am 48 and have CAD. one stent in distal PDA in year 2000 and a few less than 40%plaques in the ... A: Your discomfort is not typical of cardiac discomfort. If the EKG portion of your stress test (in ... | |
| Unusual heartbeat | 2/3/2006 |
| Q: I am a fairly healthy 27 year old woman. 5'1, 150lbs, (pleasantly plump) :-) but consistently on ... A: The fact that you feel your heart beat does not make it abnormal. Given your concern it would be ... | |
| Heart Medication,etc. | 1/30/2006 |
| Q: I'm a 23 yr old male with high blood pressure,sinus taycahrdia,anxiety disorder and adhd. I ... A: Depending on your blood pressure control and anxiety, the Adderal could be a problem. You will need ... | |
| the Heart | 1/27/2006 |
| Q: A friend of mine just had a quaddruaple bypass. He claims now that his heart and arteries are as ... A: Unfortunately, it does not cure the underlying atherosclerotic process that caused the blockages in ... | |
| Question about echo | 1/24/2006 |
| Q: I have a question about my last three echo tests. Do you know if these numbers are normal? Has the ... A: Your left atrium has gotten larger suggesting inadequate control of your blood pressure which can ... | |
| Cyanotic Extremity | 1/13/2006 |
| Q: I am not quite sure who to address this question to. I have been experiencing a gradual increase in ... A: It sounds like you have a blockage in the veins of the arm. Start with your local doctor but it ... | |
| Hypertension, gout | 1/9/2006 |
| Q: I have had hypertension and gout problems since I was 28 years old. I am now 47 and have had to ... A: Based on what you have described, you need to lose weight on a low carb, moderately low fat diet. ... | |
| Help! I need to know... | 1/7/2006 |
| Q: doctor. I'm a 16 year-old female student. I have some problem with my breathing and I would like to ... A: What you are describing sounds like anxiety. True shortness of breath would occur with exertion ... | |
| Blood Sugar | 1/6/2006 |
| Q: Please Help Me, What should be minimum sugar in blood and what should be maximum suger in blood in ... A: 100 is the upper limits of normal of a fasting blood sugar. There is no definitve minimum in the ... | |
| Need for bypass surgery and prostate cancer | 12/29/2005 |
| Q: My father-n-law suffered from a significant heart attack on Christmas Day. About a week before that ... A: These are certainly two separate problems. He did not suddenly get two 99% calcified blockages. It ... | |
| Edema ( Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Sufferer) | 12/22/2005 |
| Q: I have had a 6 pound weight gain in a 2 day period. My cardiologist prescribed lasix and potassium ... A: If your are a patient with an ischemic cardiomyopathy with fluid retention and possible congestive ... | |
| Percentage of MI locations. | 12/14/2005 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I was in a discussion with some fellow Paramedics about the locations of MI's. I believe ... A: Based on the fact that the inferior wall could be supplied by either the RCA or Circumflex I would ... | |
| Stopped heart | 12/5/2005 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I'm hoping you can help me solve this mystery. Over the past several years, my fiance ... A: It sounds like he is having some type of cardiac arrhythmia (electrical rhythm disturbance). Since ... | |
| Chest Soarness | 11/21/2005 |
| Q: I have notice a soar spot about 3inches under my right rib cage follow by what feels like a hard ... A: This is not something that can be properly evaluated over the Web. It may well be muscular, but that ... | |
| Chest pains | 11/17/2005 |
| Q: I am writing to you from the UK, where as you know we have the wonderful NHS, I went to my doctor ... A: There are multiple causes for chest pain, only one of which is the heart. There are muscles, joints, ... | |
| Hello, doctor: i was diagnosed... | 11/16/2005 |
| Q: doctor: i was diagnosed with svt, i don't know what kind, but the doctor basically said that is not ... A: Depending on the type of SVT, it may be curable with a catheter based procedure. You should consider ... | |
| PLZ HELP ME!!!IM WORRIED | 11/16/2005 |
| Q: Hey I really hope you can help me.I worry about my mom alot.Yesterday she went to the heart doctor ... A: An isolated RBBB is an electrical problem of the heart that is generally not symptomatic and does ... | |
| Heart palps | 11/15/2005 |
| Q: I have reoccuring heart palps. I am 33 normal cholesterol, 5' 9" tall 170 lbs. I don't smoke, ... A: If you are having any sustained runs of an abnormal rapid heart beat, treatment with a Beta blocker ... | |
| heart | 11/15/2005 |
| Q: what are the causes of skipped beats of the heart and is it serious. thomas A: There are very thick textbooks about different kinds of heart disease, many of which can cause extra ... | |
| surar | 11/15/2005 |
| Q: My dear doctor, According to my blood on 5/9/2005 10/9/2005 ... A: You should be on some medication preventively for the future. Ask your doctor about low dose ... | |
| surar | 11/14/2005 |
| Q: ------------------on 5/9/2005 my blood report showed sugar level in blood (fasting) 147,(random) 218 ... A: It sounds like you are a diabetic as well as a heart patient. Ask you doctor about an advanced ... | |
| Chest pains | 11/10/2005 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl. For the last 2 days I have been experiencing left sided chest pains. The pains start at ... A: As I am sure you can understand, this is not something that can be properly evaluated over the Web. ... | |
| ??? | 11/9/2005 |
| Q: I have extraventricular attack of cardia and I wanted to try smoking marijuana. Will doing so kill ... A: I assume that you mean supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). You need to discuss this with your ... | |
| sugar | 10/22/2005 |
| Q: on10.9.2005 i went to a laboratory for blood test they given me result i mention below. please tell ... A: A random glucose of 137 does not make the diagnosis of daibetes. A fasting blood sugar >126 would. ... | |
| Low LDL/HDL & Heart Disease Risk | 10/22/2005 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl: I am a very fit, very healthy 55-year old male who eats healthfully, exercises regularly ... A: Ask your doctor about doing an EBT (Electron Beam Tomography). If your calcium score is above zero ... | |
| cabig | 10/18/2005 |
| Q: sir 23 may 2003 i felt pain in throt and neck, my doctor said i have heart problem.on 18.8 2005 i ... A: You shoud discuss all of your questions with your personal cardiologist. 1 - I would assume for the ... | |
| cholesterol | 10/15/2005 |
| Q: I am a woman 57 yrs. old, and weigh 122 lbs. I have been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, ... A: Your LDL (bad cholesterol) elevation may be related to your genetic makeup. Your HDL (good ... | |
| General Inquiry | 10/12/2005 |
| Q: I'm expecting the answer will be to see my doctor, but I am generally curious as to what this could ... A: If your heart gradually speeds up and then gradually slows down it most likely is normal. The heart ... | |
| Coronary artery blockage | 10/6/2005 |
| Q: Other than an angiogram, are there any other tests to determine blockage in a artery? Also, how ... A: There are multiple different tests to evaluate coronary artery disease - Electron Beam Tomography, ... | |
| EKG Intervals | 10/4/2005 |
| Q: Greetings Dr. Pearl, I was wondering why the P-R interval is named as it is; it seems it would make ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer but I posed your question ( a good one) to a number of my partners, ... | |
| mother's collapse | 9/25/2005 |
| Q: my mom is diabetic, former cancer patient, has congestive heart failure, had a heart attack 3 years ... A: This is an extremely complicated situation without an obvious answer. It could have been low blod ... | |
| What is Mitral Valve Peak Velocity | 9/22/2005 |
| Q: I had a question about the Mitral Valve: what is the peak velocity? What exactly does it do/mean? ... A: A high peak velocity can indicate blockage of the mitral valve. The right ventricle can vary in size ... | |
| PVC risk factors | 9/22/2005 |
| Q: Your colleague David Richardson kindly answered a general question about PVC's last year, but now I ... A: If you are having 3 PVC's in a row then by definition you are having ventricular tachycardia. Ask ... | |
| PVC's | 9/22/2005 |
| Q: I have started having PVC's around my ovulation which can last 5 days and about 10 before my period ... A: It is certainly temporally related to your menses. If may be related to fluid retention and stretch ... | |
| cholestrol | 9/18/2005 |
| Q: --- Thanks for the response. I've had carotid check. Does your answer mean that if I had the EPT ... A: If your carotids were totally clean - no intimal thickening or plaque (not just no significant ... | |
| cholestrol | 9/15/2005 |
| Q: I am 60. 120 lbs., female. My chlosterol counts are, Tri-69 HDL-138 Ratio- 2.37 LdL-175 ... A: Ask your doctor about an EBT (Electron Beam Tomography) to look for coronary calcification and ... | |
| pvc's & slow pulse rate | 9/13/2005 |
| Q: Age 64. For the last few weeks I have been plagued by palpitations, resulting from pvc's. At ... A: You should have a formal cardiology evaluation including an EBT(Electon Beam Tomography)and/or ... | |
| DIESEL FUMES/ HEART PAINS | 9/3/2005 |
| Q: PEARL IM 26 YRS OLD AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PAINS IN MY HEART SINCE ... A: Having been evaluated and not found to have a serious heart problem you need to go back and ask your ... | |
| strokes | 8/31/2005 |
| Q: My mother who is 72yrs old and in fairly good health recently suffered a "mini stroke". She lost ... A: She needs to optimize her lipid/metabolic profile. Have her ask about an advanced profile from the ... | |
| tight chest | 8/28/2005 |
| Q: Pearl, My mom says that she has a tight chest and trouble taking deep breathes. She's already ... A: Her symptoms sound suggestive of anxiety-hyperventilation. The sensitivity is not cardiac. The heart ... | |
| Is this Chest X-ray Result an indication of possible CHF? | 8/26/2005 |
| Q: I would like to know if an elderly patient that has bronchitis like symptoms and is feeling ... A: If this patient is viable she would benefit from a formal cardiology evaluation to properly evaluate ... | |
| Heart problem | 8/23/2005 |
| Q: my doctor took my blood tests,ecg,ett,cho and angiography,then he disclosed that my three artries ... A: I apologize for the delay. Katrina affected my computer access. This is not something that can be ... | |
| Stint and replacing them | 7/22/2005 |
| Q: I had a massive heart attack 3-years ago, and had a stint implated and told heart attack was in ... A: If you are having discomfort similar to when you had your heart attack you need to contact your ... | |
| Cannot get straight answer from Dr. regarding my valve insufficiency and pvc's | 7/21/2005 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I apologize for the length of this ... A: Unless you are a well conditioned athlete, your heart is midly enlarged. It could be from any number ... | |
| heart flutters | 7/8/2005 |
| Q: Pearl, I have been having some fluttery feelings in the heart now for about the last eight ... A: Most likely the "missed beats" are extra beats. Ask your doctor about a 24 hour Holter monitor to ... | |
| Vitamins-Minerals | 7/5/2005 |
| Q: Pearl, I've learned where our soils have been depleted of minerals from wind, leaching, poor farming ... A: I have never seen a vitamin deficiency syndrome in an otherwise healthy patient who has a balanced ... | |
| My father's condition and how can we help him | 6/29/2005 |
| Q: I have a question. My father is 78 years old, recently he had a Cardiac Catheterization and the ... A: He should consider seeing a cardiologist who specializes in congestive heart failure. Ask his ... | |
| nature of cardiac death | 6/24/2005 |
| Q: Please indulge me for asking you a theoretical medical question. I am writing a story about a man ... A: With a heart attack, he could have a transient cardiac arrhythmia (heart rhythm disturbance) which ... | |
| questioning cardiac tests | 6/24/2005 |
| Q: Pearl: I saw a cardiologist a while back due to chest pains. During the initial consultation, he ... A: Ask your doctor about an EBT (Electron Beam Tomography) to look for calcifcation of the coronary ... | |
| side effect and other issue | 6/24/2005 |
| Q: Doctor P My doctor increased my lipitor from 20 to 40 mg shortly after that i noticed a churning ... A: Ask your doctor if the erectile dysfunction could be related to the Toprol. If your cholesterol was ... | |
| missed beats and flutters | 6/20/2005 |
| Q: in 1995 i started having missed heart beats and flutters, it lasted for over 12 months for hours at ... A: The fact that you feel your heart beating does not mean that it is abnormal. The fact that you feel ... | |
| occ. Blood pressure rise due to eating mistake | 6/11/2005 |
| Q: sir , what can be done immediately for the patient who has not regular bloodpressure but ... A: An occasional rise in blood pressure may well be normal and does not require treatment. If the blood ... | |
| Coronary Spasm | 6/2/2005 |
| Q: I have a very odd manifestation of a heart attack... I've been searching online and not been able to ... A: It is conceivable that you are having coronary spasm. It is also possible that your pain, since it ... | |
| Echo results for CHF | 6/1/2005 |
| Q: I'm trying to understand echo results for CHF. Specifically, would you expect the ejection fraction ... A: EF can often improve with Beta blockers and ACE inhibitors. It should not improve with diuretics ... | |
| P.A.T. ( & irregular heart beat | 5/28/2005 |
| Q: Pearl, I am a 38 yr. old female, and was diagnosed with P.A.T. in 1996. My Dr. put me on Atenolol ... A: You need to consider a formal cardiology evaluation. If you are truly having "PAT" the treatment ... | |
| vertigo and dizziness...heart? | 5/20/2005 |
| Q: I truly don't know if this falls into your area of expertise, but saw "vertigo and dizziness" under ... A: It sounds like he is having vertigo which is most likely related to an ear problem. This needs to be ... | |
| Cardiology | 5/16/2005 |
| Q: My dad has been a type 1 diabetic for 55 years. Currently is 62 years of age and recently retired. ... A: He needs to optimize his diabetes. A HgbA1C of 7 is too high. He is on two statins if he is taking ... | |
| pacemakers & hearing aids | 5/7/2005 |
| Q: Has anyone ever died from a hearing aid interfering with a pacemaker? A: Not that I am aware of. Too many patients have both pacemakers and hearing aids which would mean ... | |
| Establish care with new Cardiologist | 5/5/2005 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, My husband and I are wondering what testing the AHA recommends for establishing care with ... A: Ask about an advanced lipid/metabolic profile from the Berkeley HeartLab to look for all treatable ... | |
| hi thank you for being... | 4/3/2005 |
| Q: But, just so i understood what you wrote, if i dont have any structural heart disease, it is not ... A: Isolated extra beats in the absence of structural heart disease are generally not dangerous. ... | |
| Hi I have a question regarding... | 4/3/2005 |
| Q: I have a question regarding the stress anxiety and skipped heart beats. I have svt, but that ... A: Isolated extra beats are generally not dangerous in the absence of significant structural heart ... | |
| palpitation-fast rate arround 150 160 | 3/31/2005 |
| Q: sir what all precautions should be taken if palpitation attack arise without any cardiac trace ... A: If you are having palpitations with a heart rate 150-160 you need to determine what the rhythm is in ... | |
| your opinion on natural herbs for high chotesterol patients | 3/16/2005 |
| Q: I have high cholesterol, had used Lipitor for 5 months, resulting in cholesterol level back to ... A: Benecol has a minor beneficial effect and should be used in conjunction with medications, but not as ... | |
| heart cure | 3/14/2005 |
| Q: i had a heart attack recently.after that i had undergone angioplasty.i understand that after heart ... A: Generally, once a portion of the heart dies it forms a scar and does not regain function. Depending ... | |
| Afibs | 3/9/2005 |
| Q: I suffer from paroxysmal afibs,which I have had since being diagnosed in 1984.I was put through a ... A: It is 20 years later. You should consider a formal cardiac evaluation to re-look for structural ... | |
| HI: I am a 25 year old... | 3/9/2005 |
| Q: I am a 25 year old female diagnosed with svt one and a half year ago, but besides that i have ... A: If you are having prolonged runs of SVT you should consider seeing a cardiac electrophysiologist who ... | |
| CoQ10 with Lipitor | 3/9/2005 |
| Q: I have experienced neck and shoulder pain since I started Lipitor 10 mg about 6 months ago. I would ... A: Check with your personal physician to make sure that there is not an elevation of your muscle ... | |
| Heart Attacks | 2/25/2005 |
| Q: A few years ago a close friend had a heart attack in front of my business. As I Went to his aid to ... A: It sounds like there was a rhythm disturbance but the heart was able to pump somewhat, although ... | |
| Heart medication | 2/22/2005 |
| Q: In Nov. 2003, following a massive heart attack, I had open heart surgery which included 3 ... A: I think that the Coreg is the more impoortant of the two, but they are both beneficial. When you say ... | |
| drug interaction | 2/17/2005 |
| Q: Doctor P: I am on toprol 50mg since i had a positive tilt test 2 years ago, now i just wanted to ... A: It probably won't cause a problem, but it is possible and you won't know until you try it. You ... | |
| Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery | 2/16/2005 |
| Q: I am facing mitral valve replacement surgery soon and during my research, I learned that ligation of ... A: This question should be directed to your cardiac surgeon. I have never personally seen this ... | |
| left hilar density | 2/11/2005 |
| Q: what is left hilar density? A: It could be any of multiple things from a normal confluence of shadows to enlarged blood vessels, ... | |
| Complications of bypass surgery | 2/11/2005 |
| Q: My dad had a double bypass surgery 6 months ago and his left lung was, as they stated "Paralized" ... A: This is not a rare complication of bypass surgery. I am not sure that another operation is the ... | |
| Cardiac catheterization and stenting | 2/10/2005 |
| Q: My husband is 47 years old and has an extensive history of CAD in his family. He has already been ... A: This is not an uncommon situation for which I do not have any statistics. It is certainly possible ... | |
| functions of medicines for cholesterol | 1/24/2005 |
| Q: I am 63, have high cholesterol. I had used Lipitor for 3 months then dropped it because of its side ... A: No! You need to check out the statistics on side effects. The fact that a medication has greater LDL ... | |
| Arrythmia (spelling?) | 1/22/2005 |
| Q: I've had missed beats and spells of rapid beats (up to 210 per min) since I was 13. It use to "hit" ... A: You are describing what sounds like re-entrant supraventicular tachycardia. It is a potentially ... | |
| cardio test | 1/10/2005 |
| Q: what is the current test used to determine % of artery blockage? can it be done in the office? ... A: Coronary angiography is the best method to quantitate blockage. It should only be done for patients ... | |
| heart | 1/10/2005 |
| Q: I recently took my dad to the hospital after he had chest pains for three days. The hospital doctor ... A: This question cannot be properly answered over the Web. If you continue to have questions your ... | |
| angioplasty | 1/9/2005 |
| Q: my partner suffered a heart attack last july,we were told the cause was probably the diabetes he had ... A: This is not a question that can be properly answered over the Web. It needs to be discussed with his ... | |
| thanks for your quick reply... | 12/30/2004 |
| Q: so if i understood you right you said that if the rapid heart beat is caused from anxiety or ... A: SVT is generally not life threatening, but if it recurrent and symptomatic it is often curable with ... | |
| Hi i am a 24 year old female.... | 12/30/2004 |
| Q: i am a 24 year old female. One year ago i got diagnosed with svt. It doesn't happen to me ... A: You need to discuss this with your personal cardiologist. A 24 hour Holter monitor may be helpful to ... | |
| cardiovascular risk | 12/26/2004 |
| Q: What does the blood test hsCRP mean? what are the normal ranges? what does it mean to have a value ... A: hsCRP stands for high sensitivity C-reative Protein. It is a marker of inflammation. In the absence ... | |
| FS & EF rates | 12/24/2004 |
| Q: Frank Pearl .. I have some blocks in my heart arteries .. 6 months ago I had 57% EF . A week ago it ... A: There may be an association with more blockages but other factors can come into play. Ask your ... | |
| Genetic dilated cardiomyopathy | 12/19/2004 |
| Q: I am an italian guy, I live in Milan and 3 years ago, after a flu, I was diagnosed with dilated ... A: You should consider a formal opinion with a cardiac electrophysioloigst. I am not sure that the ... | |
| Left Ventricle Hypertrophy | 12/12/2004 |
| Q: I was just diagnosed with Left Ventricle Hypertrophy My blood pressure was high and I am a little ... A: Most likely the Left Ventricular Hypertrophy is secondary to the high blood pressure. the presence ... | |
| Pericarditis? | 12/11/2004 |
| Q: I am a 35y.o. Fem. Early Nov I got a viral infection(sore throat and lost the voice, dry cough). I ... A: Anti-inflammatory medication is generally appropriate for pericarditis. I would assume that you did ... | |
| Patent Foramen Ovale/Migraine w/Aura | 12/9/2004 |
| Q: Pearl: I am a lifelong migraineur and disabled by the frequency of attacks. I have only ... A: Question 1 - adedquately monitored Coumadin should not be a problem with menstruation Question 2 - ... | |
| heart related | 12/9/2004 |
| Q: I was recently diagnosed with unsustained SVT and was told it's a very common arythmia and that it's ... A: If Zoloft was recently started it is possible but unlikely that it is related to your increased ... | |
| Heart Test Question | 12/5/2004 |
| Q: I recently had a cholesteral test with a total reading of 250 (prior was 238). My health is good, ... A: I think an EBT (Electron Beam Tomography) to assess coronary calcification is an excellent idea. If ... | |
| Acute MI -- having trouble w/prognosis | 12/3/2004 |
| Q: On November 8, my wife (age 43) was rushed to hospital, where she was treated for an acute MI ... A: You need to sit down and discuss these questions in detail with her personal cardiologist. This is ... | |
| salt | 11/30/2004 |
| Q: what is the maximun amount of sea salt intake per day for 225 pound male A: Total dietary salt intake shoud be less than 4 grams in the average person. This may need to be ... | |
| Mitral Valve and Anticoagulants | 11/30/2004 |
| Q: Could you tell me what could happen to a person that has mitral valve replacement and put on ... A: Depending on multiple factors, including the type of valve replacement and the heart rhythm, ... | |
| Heart disease probability | 11/29/2004 |
| Q: Good afternoon. I am 32 year old white male. I weight 150 pounds and measure about 5 feet 6 ... A: If you stop smoking and drinking and continue to have palpitations you should have a formal ... | |
| recovering from stroke | 11/17/2004 |
| Q: My dad suffered an ischemic stroke 3 years ago. It was not diagnosed right away, so he suffered a ... A: If his weakness has not improved after 3 years it would be unlikely to have significant improvement ... | |
| arrhythmia, PSVT & dizziness | 11/17/2004 |
| Q: I'm looking or a second opinion about my heart. I have palpitations, diagnosed as PVCs and (rarely) ... A: If you are looking for a second opinion you should locate a cardiologist who specializes in cardiac ... | |
| catheterization | 11/15/2004 |
| Q: My 74 year old father in law suffered many small strokes as a complication of a heart ... A: It would be highly unlikely that his arteries were all clear (particularly the aorta which is the ... | |
| Coated Aspirin | 11/10/2004 |
| Q: I learned that--for purposes of preventing heart attack/stroke--coated aspirins have been found ... A: For an acute heart attack a chewable aspirin would be the delivery system of choice. For long term ... | |
| Premature Ventricular Contractions | 11/10/2004 |
| Q: Pearl, Thanks for being part of this terrific site. My annual EKG showed PVC for the very first ... A: Isolated PVc's in the absence of structural heart disease are generally not serious. YOu need to ... | |
| irregular heart beat | 11/7/2004 |
| Q: i get irregular heart beats every 10 seconds approx, it feels like it is skipping a beat and then ... A: An EKG only records approximately 12 seconds. If you do not have an extra beat during that time it ... | |
| Carribean/Overseas Med. Careers | 11/7/2004 |
| Q: Pearl, I graduated with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture and am also a ... A: You will need to complete the pre-med requirements plus have an undergraduate degree. YOu may have ... | |
| chest pain in the heart area | 11/5/2004 |
| Q: I got question do eating to much or drinking apple juice and energy drink (eg red bull) cause chest ... A: At your age the chest pain is probably not cardiac. It could be gastrointestinal related to what you ... | |
| Chest Pain | 10/29/2004 |
| Q: If you have an EKG and stress test and everything showed up normal would that mean that nothing is ... A: Not all chest pain is cardiac. There are a lot of other structures in the chest including ribs, ... | |
| Fat build up within arteries | 10/29/2004 |
| Q: Would you please inform me sbout atheroma inside the abdominal aorta? and how it is formed please. ... A: This is atherosclerosis or in layman's terms "hardening of the arteries." You should be able to ... | |
| aspirin | 10/27/2004 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I am 77 years old, had bypass surgery almost 8 years ago, and get annual nuclear tread ... A: I usually recommend 81mg of aspirin. Ask your cardiologist about an advanced lipid/metabolic profile ... | |
| LOVASASTAIN | 10/17/2004 |
| Q: PearlI take lovastatin and my dad takes lipitor.We have read a story in the newspaper by ... A: Most patients who take a "statin" such as Lovastatin or Lipitor are taking it bacause of a problem ... | |
| medications | 10/6/2004 |
| Q: I had a heart attack in march 2001,emengency angioplasty,two days later,another,6 months later ... A: The obvious answer is - Yes, it is possible. Ask your new cardiologist about an advanced ... | |
| Heart Information | 9/28/2004 |
| Q: I would like to know what it means when a report says: "Right ventricular as well as right atrial ... A: There is enlargement of the right atrium and right ventricle (2 of the 4 chambers in the heart), ... | |
| heart pounding | 9/25/2004 |
| Q: I haven't been able to sleep the last 2 weeks without xanax. When I lay down i feel my heart ... A: It could be anxiety. The fact that you feel your heart beating is not necessarily abnormal. Have you ... | |
| Heart | 9/25/2004 |
| Q: I had a heart bypass operation in 1994 and have had stress testing every so often since. Two weeks ... A: If you had an early positive stress test and/or you are having angina or its equivalent with minimal ... | |
| IHSS or HOCM | 9/22/2004 |
| Q: Can you explain this disease and is it heritary? Does it come down thru the Mother or Father? Does ... A: This is noot my field of expertise. Here is some information from UpToDate. Hopefully you will find ... | |
| Pericaldial Effusion/Angioplasty | 9/16/2004 |
| Q: I am a 38 y.o. white male that was diagnosed with coronary artery disease 3 months ago (My Dad died ... A: 1 - The pericardial effusion might have been due to a heart attack at the time of your initial ... | |
| constant chest pain | 9/11/2004 |
| Q: I have been experiencing chest pain on and off for a little over a month. However, for the past 2 ... A: Your pain is not typical for heart pain but a formal evaluation by a cardiologist does not have much ... | |
| 5 year old with Right Branch Bundle Block | 9/9/2004 |
| Q: My 5 yr old daughter went for a routine checkup and the doctor heard something different from her ... A: I am an adult cardiologist which is a completely separate specialty. In an adult, an isolated RBBB ... | |
| Heart and Cardiologists | 9/7/2004 |
| Q: I have been told that I have Cardiomyopathy, Heart Valve Disease and Congestive Heart Failure, and ... A: You should notify your cardiologist if your symptoms are getting worse. Valve replacement is usually ... | |
| heart size | 9/5/2004 |
| Q: I was wondering why the heart doesn't increase in size due to exercise when muscles in the body ... A: Exercise does not significantly increase the size of the heart. Having high blood pressure is like ... | |
| Heart Attack Risk | 9/1/2004 |
| Q: I am a 59-year-old male. I experienced an MI five-and-a-half years ago, which left me with ... A: You are hopefully controlling and stopping the progression of the atherosclerotic process. You sould ... | |
| hi i am a 24 year old female... | 8/25/2004 |
| Q: i am a 24 year old female that i got diagnosed with svt. It doesn't happen to me very frequently. ... A: SVT is generally not life-threatening. It can cause significant symptoms and require ER visits and ... | |
| how common would it be? | 8/17/2004 |
| Q: For the last three months i have been dignosed with panic and anxeity. The thing that drives me the ... A: What you are describing does not sound serious. Since you are concerned and do have at least a rare ... | |
| questions on the heart | 7/25/2004 |
| Q: I am writing a screenplay that involves someone dying. In the script I made the character die ... A: The layman's term heart attack refers to a myocardial infarction which is generally caused by ... | |
| chest pains- 26 yrs old | 7/22/2004 |
| Q: I'm a 26 year old female, and I was wondering if there's a type of harmless heart pain. I have ... A: There is no such thing as harmless heart pain. Your pains do not necessarily sound cardiac, but if ... | |
| Constant feeling of pulse | 7/20/2004 |
| Q: I'm a 40 year old man, 5'9", 200 lbs., in good health. Ever since I was a child, I have always been ... A: It sounds like you may be having re-entrant supraventicular tachycardia. You should consider seeing ... | |
| Post-Thrombotic Syndrome | 7/19/2004 |
| Q: A few years ago, I had a Pulmonary Embolism first. Then 8 months later, I had DVT. I had a filter ... A: It is called a post-phlebitic syndrome and often becomes a chronic condition. The treatment ... | |
| Irregular heartbeat | 7/19/2004 |
| Q: It started last march after the second cold during which I coughed very hard, I felt my insides ... A: It sounds like you are having extra heart beats which are then followed by a pause. YOu need to see ... | |
| Heart Palps in young | 7/17/2004 |
| Q: About 2 Months Ago I had A 3 Day drinking Binge at College. I am a 6,4 and 295 lbs football player ... A: It sounds like you do not have any serious problem other than abuse of alcohol. Given your concern ... | |
| A valve regurgitation | 7/17/2004 |
| Q: Pearl: After having a stress test I received a diagnosis as follows: "mitra/valve prolapse/ ... A: This is a very common cardiac abnormality and generally not serious, although it can progress over ... | |
| heart muscle damage | 7/16/2004 |
| Q: Is there a correlaton between echo cardiogram score and the extent of heart muscle damage? For ... A: I assume you are referring to the ejection fraction on the echo. 35% is considered moderate ... | |
| Long-term risks---adults | 7/15/2004 |
| Q: This will be rather long, but what I'm asking might be helpful to others. My dad had a heart ... A: It is not uncommon for atherosclerosis to progress and blockages to recur. Your brothers and you ... | |
| mild occ bp and immediate treatment | 7/15/2004 |
| Q: ---------------but sir discomfort-mild unbearable lead to take treatment..generally docter give 2 or ... A: Studies have demonstrated there is no correlation of symptoms with high blood pressure. You need to ... | |
| healing | 7/13/2004 |
| Q: 7 months ago my father who is in good physical condition had by pass surgery,2 sites.he was not put ... A: Predisposing causes for sternal infections are diabetes and bilateral internal mammary artery ... | |
| mild occ bp and immediate treatment | 7/13/2004 |
| Q: sir any drug which can affect blood pressure in few minutes..nifidpine ofcaurse but it can cause ... A: Depending on the frequency, occasional high blood pressure does not require treatment. If it is ... | |
| Heart Disease | 7/12/2004 |
| Q: I am 72 yr. male with heart disease for many years. I had a heart attack in 1969, open heart 4 ... A: Ask your cardiologist about an advanced lipid/metabolic profile from the Berkeley HeartLab to look ... | |
| hi, dr.pearl: i asked you... | 7/10/2004 |
| Q: dr.pearl: i asked you a question about svt and you wrote down that it is abnormal, and if prolonged ... A: It is not normal but generally not serious. How fast and how prolonged it needs to be to cause a ... | |
| EKG'S | 7/10/2004 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, My wife recently had her annual examination. Her doctor gave her a referral for a EKG ... A: As a heart patient I find it hard to believe you have not had an EKG in 11 years. I am sure that you ... | |
| lipitor | 7/9/2004 |
| Q: Dr. Pearl, I am 77 and in good health. I had bypass surgery 7 years ago, no problems since then. I ... A: The timing of the dose is not critical. Ask you doctor about an advanced lipid/metabolic profile ... | |
| hi i have been feeling... | 7/6/2004 |
| Q: i have been feeling my heart skipping beats since i was 15 years old, i also have svt, but it ... A: If you are having frequent extra beats (which may not be serious) there is most likely at least a ... | |
| Arrhythmia Cardiac Dysrhythmia | 7/6/2004 |
| Q: I have a condition Arrhythmia Cardiac Dysrhythmia. They have installed a difibrilator. Doctors say ... A: Make sure that you have seen a cardiologist who specializes in congestive heart failure to make sure ... | |
| blood pressure question | 7/6/2004 |
| Q: doc: i have a question about blood pressure: what is the normal range: when is it too low and ... A: Normal blood pressure is less than or equal to 130/85. 140/90 is considered borderline high. ... | |
| hello | 7/6/2004 |
| Q: hey, doc: my question can not get any shorter than that, and since i am not asking you to evaluate ... A: Your question is short but a proper answer is quite long. Here is the short answer. Although ranging ... | |
| Urgent | 7/6/2004 |
| Q: i have 4 questions please and they are important 1- how do you know that you have irrigular heart ... A: If your pulse is irregular then your heart beat is irregular because that is what generates your ... | |
| help | 7/5/2004 |
| Q: how Nicotine can effect the heart? does is it have and relation with palpitation? How does too much ... A: Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine can all precipitate extra heart beats. You need to minimize these ... | |
| hi i am 23 years old. ... | 7/3/2004 |
| Q: i am 23 years old. I don't know if i am asking the right person this question, because i know ... A: There is a small but real chance that prolonged SVT can lead to complications. You need to try and ... | |
| heart disease | 7/3/2004 |
| Q: My father is 65 years old. His heart makes problems for him. Sometimes he feels as if his heart has ... A: Based on the tests it appears that he had a false positive stress test and tht he has mild, ... | |
| heart question | 6/29/2004 |
| Q: my question has to do with blood pressure. I mean, i hear a lot about high blood pressure due to ... A: Everyone's blood pressure is elevated some of the time. Whether it will cause a problem for the ... | |
| Holter Results | 6/28/2004 |
| Q: I am a 29 years old male. I am in a good healthy condition and I do jogging 3 times a week. 6 ... A: It sounds like you have a minor electrical problem with your heart possibly precipitated by alcohol, ... | |
| hello, i have a quick question:... | 6/26/2004 |
| Q: i have a quicki am a very angry type of person. I mean, whenever i feel like something that was ... A: There is a risk although probably not high. If you are having recurrent re-entrant SVT curative ... | |
| hi i am a pre med student... | 6/24/2004 |
| Q: i am a pre med student and i am writing about my mother who is 56 years old and has been suffering ... A: Stress - physical or emotional can raise BP and heart rate and precipitate cardiac arrhythmias in ... | |
| Hello! I am not writing... | 6/24/2004 |
| Q: I am not writing about myself, but about my girlfriend, and i hope i found the right website, ... A: Have her ask her doctor about a 24 hour Holter monitor to determine what kind of rapid heart beat ... | |
| Triglycerides | 6/24/2004 |
| Q: I am a 31 yr old female. I just got the results of a lipid panel that I had done yesterday and I'm ... A: I am sure that you gained weight during the pregnancy. Ask you obstetrician if pregnancy elevates ... | |
| Palpitation | 6/23/2004 |
| Q: I am a 29 years old male. I am in a good healthy condition and I do jogging 3 times a week. 6 months ... A: It sounds like you are having extra heart beats. Following the extra beat there is a pause. The ... | |
| Variance in Blood Pressure | 6/21/2004 |
| Q: My husband is 47 years old. He had bypass surgery last October. His LAD was 100% blocked. He also ... A: Most likely he has a blockage in the artery to his left arm. Most likely this is acquired but it is ... | |
| How to lessen coronary plaque? | 6/21/2004 |
| Q: I'm 62, got high cholesterol (275), feel funny on my left side, and not comfortable lying on my left ... A: By optimizing your lipid/metabolic profile you can stabilize the existing plaque, keep it from ... | |
| hi i have a quick question whenever... | 6/18/2004 |
| Q: i have a quick question whenever i go to the doctor's the nurse who checks my pulse always says ... A: There are multiple potential causes for a rapid heart beat including anxiety. You need to ask your ... | |
| heart question | 6/17/2004 |
| Q: dr Pearl thank you so much for answering my previous question, but if you don't mind i have a ... A: You are not born with a limited number of heart beats. If your heart is really beating 120/min for ... | |
| heart question | 6/15/2004 |
| Q: i am 24 years old. i have svt, but it only happens twice a year. and my question is not more about ... A: A fast heart beat secondary to anxiety should not cause damage to the heart. If you are having ... | |
| Heart Palpitation | 6/15/2004 |
| Q: Frank J. Peart Greetings, I am a 29 years old and in a good healthy condition and I do jogging 3 ... A: It sounds like you are having an occasional extra heart beat. The premature beat is followed by a ... | |
| palpitations | 6/8/2004 |
| Q: i am 25, male i have been having heart palpitaions approx 2 years i have seen a dr and have had ... A: the fact that you fell your heart beating does not make it abnormal. Most likely what you are ... | |
| heart question | 6/4/2004 |
| Q: I emailed you a question and I never got an answer, so i am trying again. Does anxiety (prolonged ... A: I am sorry I did not receive your previous question. Sometimes the computers do not work like they ... | |
| Naturally High Cholesterol | 5/25/2004 |
| Q: I can never seem to get a straight answer to this question. I am 50 years old. I have been told I am ... A: If your tubes (I assume you mean coronary arteries) were clean and your ejection fraction is now 50% ... | |
| Low Diastolic | 5/20/2004 |
| Q: How "low" is too low for "diastolic? I have always had low diastolic and I now have hypertension ... A: An isolated low diastolic pressure was reported to be detrimental in one recent study. A diastolic ... | |
| elevated CRP treatment? | 5/13/2004 |
| Q: For the past year I've been taking Folgard(B12 B6 Folic Acid) because of a test I took at a health ... A: CRP does not remain elevated in the absence of inflammation. You should consider an advanced ... | |
| Poor circulation | 5/12/2004 |
| Q: I had a heart attack in January of this year one month before I turned 48. I am female, 115 lbs, ... A: You need to report this to your cardiologist. It could possibly be due to a blood clot which ... | |
| Vascular Problem? | 5/11/2004 |
| Q: I'm a 23 year old college student and have been having some very unusual symptoms. I will try to ... A: Your symptoms seem neurologic or possibly rheumatologically related. Most vasculitis falls under ... | |
| vasodypressor syncope | 5/10/2004 |
| Q: A relative has been diagnosed by a cardiologist as having "vasodypressor syncope". We do not know ... A: This is a long and complicated answer. The short answer is that it is a fainting spell caused by an ... | |
| Pulse | 4/28/2004 |
| Q: Pearl, When I lay on my left side to go to sleep, I have my left arm up above my head so as my head ... A: It is not necessarily abnormal to feel your heart beating and it is generally good that the heart ... | |
| test results | 4/23/2004 |
| Q: I had an electrocardiographic (ECG) treadmill stress test and achieved a heart rate of only 116 ... A: Assuming your stress test was negative it means there was no evidence of a problem at the level of ... | |
| ASA | 4/12/2004 |
| Q: Recent echocardiography found intra-atrial septal aneurysm. No treatment or follow-up was offered. ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer but I needed to do a little research. There is no data to support ... | |
| LVH | 4/8/2004 |
| Q: If a person is said to have mild left ventricular hypertrophy, what happens to it over time? Does is ... A: If it is from high blood pressure (which is like lifting weight for the heart) it may improve over ... | |
| cholesterol levels | 4/8/2004 |
| Q: Here are my latest cholesterol numbers: cholesterol--220 triglycerides--69 hdl--80 ldl--126 ... A: YOur cholesterol levels are acceptable in the absence of atherosclerotic disease. If you are ... | |
| Hi, doctor Pearl: I don't... | 4/1/2004 |
| Q: doctor Pearl: I don't know if i asking the right person about this question, but please if i am ... A: 1 - Prolonged SVT can be detrimental 2 - Catheter ablation is the treatment of choice for patients ... | |
| Tachycardia | 3/31/2004 |
| Q: I have been diagnosed with tachycardia. My doctor thinks it's only the kind which is an ... A: Ask your doctor about a 24 hour Holter monitor or an event recorder to determine exactly what your ... | |
| heart pains and rapid heartbeat | 3/30/2004 |
| Q: Pearl, I am 33 yrs old, female, and there is a history of heart disease in my family: my father ... A: Not all chest pain is heart pain. There are a number of other structures in the chest including the ... | |
| smoking and the heart!! | 3/23/2004 |
| Q: I used to smoke, quit like 3 weeks ago..I suffer from bad anxiety and stopping the cigs and having ... A: From what you are describing your heart rhythm is normal. The fact that you feel it does not make it ... | |
| heart rythms and anxiety!! | 3/20/2004 |
| Q: I am a 23 year old male that has a lot of anxiety, i do not want it or asked for it but i have ... A: The fact that you feel your heart beating doesn't make it abnormal. If your monitor was normal while ... | |
| alternative of beta blockers for pre-beats | 3/19/2004 |
| Q: sir,betablocker for vpc is prescribed..but this drug reduce sexual power event in case powerful ... A: There are other drugs, but they have potentially worse side effects. If it hasn't been done, you ... | |
| Heart Blockage AV 2nd degree | 2/27/2004 |
| Q: My aunt who lives in Europe, called me and told me that her doctor told her that she has heart ... A: There are different types of 2nd degree AV block (an electrical problem with the heart). One is ... | |
| Heart Problems And Emotional Stress | 2/26/2004 |
| Q: My 62 year old husband has suffered two heart attacks. My 34 year old Son has an enlarged heart. We ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer. There seems to be a problem with the server. Potentially yes. They ... | |
| HEART DISEASE | 2/26/2004 |
| Q: LAST YEAR ON THIRD MAY I SUFFERD HEARD ATTACK.NO DIABITIES AND NO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.NOW I AM ... A: It sounds like you are having angina. If it hasn't been done you should ask your cardiologist about ... | |
| Coming Off Heart Medicines. | 2/20/2004 |
| Q: I hope you can help. My mother's heart output has now been described as "normal". 2-3 years ago it ... A: Ask your cardiologist about continuing the spironolactone and further decreasing or stopping the ... | |
| premature beat with strong sensation and without sensation | 2/18/2004 |
| Q: sir,pre mature beats without strong sensation do not creat any problem but pre mature beats with ... A: There is often a pause following a premature beat which leads to a stronger next contraction. It ... | |
| Feeling of warm fluid rushing | 2/14/2004 |
| Q: For the last seven days, I have felt a sensation of warm fluid rushing in my heart. It's a short ... A: Sorry to take so long to answer this question. There was a problem with the server.This does not ... | |
| Chest pain | 2/12/2004 |
| Q: I'm a 37 year old smoker. For the last year I have been experiencing extreme chest pain. The first ... A: What you are describing may be secondary to esophogeal reflux and spasm, but in light of your ... | |
| EKG reading | 2/11/2004 |
| Q: height 5-8, weight 175, and recently had a stress test/EKG. The test showed a "dip" which I think is ... A: An EBT (Electron Beam Tomography) should help to confirm the presence or absence of coronary ... | |
| angina/ischemia | 2/9/2004 |
| Q: My father is 76 years old. He has been diagnosed with angina, ischemia and was prescribed Enalapril ... A: Omega 3 fish oil should be beneficial. If he truly has angina he should ask his doctor about ... | |
| Abnormal ECG reading | 2/8/2004 |
| Q: I am a 20 year old male physically active male with no history of heart disease in my family, and ... A: The EKG readings that you are describing may relate to your being a well conditioned athlete and ... | |
| Heart palpitations | 1/26/2004 |
| Q: i kind of just stumbled across this sight in my search for answers. i just had a question. i am 20 ... A: It sounds like you are having premature beats. They are not normal, but they are generally not ... | |
| edema | 1/26/2004 |
| Q: since my quad bypass my legs have been swollen they harvested vains from both legs. i use to take a ... A: You most likely have venous insufficiency since the surgery. You need to watch your salt intake and ... | |
| Coumadin and Vitamin K | 1/24/2004 |
| Q: Pearl, I've got a question about coumadin. I had a pulmonary embolism and DVT. Also had a ... A: Everything we do or don't do has its' risks and benefits. In general, the benefits of long term low ... | |
| heart beat | 1/22/2004 |
| Q: I don't know if I'm asking the right person this question but I thought I'd give it a shot. Im ... A: If your heart is skipping beats it is not normal but probably not serious. Most people have an ... | |
| Chest Pains | 1/15/2004 |
| Q: Last year in April I went to see a cardiologist because I was having pains in my chest and abnormal ... A: I do not know enough about you (age, other risk factors, examination, etc.) to make a proper ... | |
Heart & Cardiology
Answers by Expert:
Frank J. Pearl, M.D.
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Voluntary Professor of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL. Board certified in cardiovascular disease
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