ON THIS EPISODE OF CYCLE OF HEALTH, TAKING CARE OF OUR HEART.

WHAT IF DOCTORS COULD MONITOR YOUR HEART REMOTELY?

LEARN ABOUT A BRAND-NEW DEVICE HELPING PEOPLE SAFELY MANAGE HEART FAILURE FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME.

THEN JOIN US FOR A HEART-TO-HEART WITH THE DOCTORS WHO TREAT THIS VITAL ORGAN EACH AND EVERY DAY.

WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US FOR THIS CONVERSATION, COMING UP ON CYCLE OF HEALTH.

♪ ♪ HELLO, AND WELCOME TO CYCLE OF HEALTH, I'M DR. RICH O'NEILL.

TONIGHT'S TOPIC, TAKING CARE OF OUR HEART.

EACH DAY, THE HEART PUMPS NEARLY 2,000 GALLONS OF BLOOD, 2,000!

AND BEATS ABOUT 100,000 TIMES.

IN A 70-YEAR LIFETIME THAT'S MORE THAN 2.5 BILLION THUMP-THUMPS!

WOW!

THAT RED STUFF CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLIES OXYGEN AND OTHER VITAL NUTRIENTS TO ALL THE PARTS OF OUR BODY.

THE BAD NEWS?

CARDIOVASCULAR IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE US; OVER 800,000 OF US HAVE A HEART ATTACK EVERY YEAR AND EVERY 40 SECONDS, ONE OF US DIES FROM A HEART ATTACK--SCARY!

NOW THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED JUST ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES, INCLUDING HEART HEALTH.

SO TONIGHT, WE'LL EXPLORE THE BEST WAYS TO CARE FOR OUR CARDIOVASCULARS.

LET'S MEET OUR GUESTS, THEY ARE: DR. RUSSELL "RUSTY" SILVERMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE HEART FAILURE CLINIC AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH DR. GANGA KABBLI, DIRECTOR OF CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH AND MS. DANA ZABOROWSKI, ADULT NURSE PRACTITIONER FOR THE HEART FAILURE CLINIC AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

Dr. SILVERMAN, HEART DISEASE AND CARDIO VIRGINIAS DOLLAR DISEASE ARE BROAD TERMS-- CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE ARE BROAD TERMS.

WHAT DISEASES AND CONDITIONS FALL UNDER THOSE UMBRELLAS.

>> CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE COVERS THE DISEASE FROM HEAD TO TOE IN TERMS OF VASCULAR DISEASE.

VASCULAR DISEASE INVOLVES THE HEART.

THE HEART PUMPS BLOOD TO ALL PARTS OF THE BODY AND THE VESSELS EMANATE FROM THE HEART SO CONSEQUENTLY CARDIOLOGY OR CARDIO SPAID IS THE FOREFRONT OF THAT DISEASE BECAUSE IF THE HEART STOPS THUMPING, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON ELSEWHERE.

BUT THE DISEASE REALLY IS A GLOBAL DISEASE AND NOT JUST LOCALIZED TO THE HEART.

IF YOU HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, A BLOCKAGE IN THE ARTERY OF THE HEART.

YOU HAVE A 50-50% CHANCE OF HAVING BLOCKAGE IN THE NECK, BELLY, LEGS.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS AN ALL INCLUSIVE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE HARD NIPPING OF THE ARTERIES, ARTHROSCLEROSIS THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT.

>> MY DAD HAD BOTH HEART DISEASE AND A SET OF MINI STROKES THAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS WHOLE BODY IT LOOKS LIKE.

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.

>> CAN I HAND THAT OFF TO ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES?

>> SO AGE, HAVING HIGH CHOLESTEROL, HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, BEING OBESE PRETTY MUCH THOSE ARE THE MAIN ONES, SMOKING, DRUG ABUSE, ALCOHOL, THOSE THINGS ALSO CONTRIBUTE.

>> WHAT ABOUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY.

>> DEFINITELY.

>> WHAT ROLE DOES FAMILY HISTORY AND GENETICS PLAY.

>> FAMILY HISTORY IS VERY IMPORTANT.

AT THE SAME TIME, SOMETIMES WE BLAME THE FAMILY MORE THAN WHAT IT DESERVES.

SO IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY BUT THERE IS A SMOKING HISTORY, THEN PROBABLY SMOKING HISTORY IS MORE CONTRIBUTING TO THE FACTOR FOR THE HEART DISEASE THAN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY.

WHEN YOU TALK TO THE PATIENT, I ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT ONCE YOU ARE MORE THAN 55, FOR MEN AND WOMEN 65, YOU CAN'T BLAME FAMILY FOR HEART DISEASE.

JUST BEING IN THAT AGE GROUP ITSELF PUTS YOU AT RISK AND OTHER RISK FACTORS LIKE PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, SMOKING, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTOR YOU CANNOT MODIFY YOUR GENETIC HISTORY BUT YOU CAN MODIFY YOUR LIFESTYLE AND RISK FACTOR LIKE QUIT SMOKING, BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.

BETTER TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF IN TERMS OF BLOOD PRESSURE, CHOLESTEROL.

THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

SO THAT'S HOW WE APPROACH IT.

>> QUITTING SMOKING IS THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> YOU WILL PROBABLY LIVE SIX OR SEVEN YEARS LONGER.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WARNING SIGNS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEART OR THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM.

>> I WOULD SAY THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OR THEY NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEY CAN'T DO NOW WHAT THEY COULD DO EVEN A MONTH AGO.

MAYBE THEY GET SHORT OF BREATH WHEN THEY EXERT THEMSELVES.

MAYBE THERE ARE DEVELOPING SOME CHEST TIGHTNESS, BACK TIGHTNESS, ARM PAIN, SO THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY ONE SPECIFIC SYMPTOM, BUT YOU NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON BECAUSE I CAN'T DO WHAT I WAS ABLE TO DO PREVIOUSLY AND I'M GETTING SOME CHEST DISCOMFORT OR BACK DISCOMFORT.

AND THERE IS A DIFFERENCE TO SOME EXTENT BETWEEN WHAT A WOMAN FEELS AND WHAT I A MAN FEELS.

BUT IN GENERAL, THE MAJOR SYMPTOMS ARE SHORTNESS OF BREATH, DECREASED EXERCISE TOLERANCE, AND USUALLY CHEST PRESSURE OR BACK PAIN, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

>> SO CHANGES IN HOW YOUR BODY IS FUNCTIONING OVERALL AND THEN THE SPECIFIC THINGS.

AS A WOMAN, TELL US WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES?

WHAT MIGHT WOMEN EXPECT TO HAVE FOR SYMPTOMS.

>> SOMETIMES WOMEN WILL HAVE BACK PAIN OR JUST FATIGUE.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WOMEN COME IN AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M SO TIRED.

WELL MOST WOMEN DO A LOT OF THE HOUSEHOLD CHORES AND SHOPPING AND COOKING, SO WHAT WOMAN ISN'T TIRED AT THE END OF THE DAY.

BUT AGAIN TO Dr. SILVERMAN'S POINT, ASKING THEM, COULD YOU DO THIS?

THEY SAY I'M SHORT OF BREATH GOING TO GET MY MAIL.

I CAN'T MOW THE LAWN BACK PAIN IS COMMON FOR WOMEN.

JUST LAST YEAR ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH INTRODUCED A NEW CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO ITS HEART HEALTH TOOL BOX CALLED THE CARDIOMEMS HF SYSTEM AND IT HELPS DOCS REMOTELY MONITOR HEART FAILURE IN PATIENTS.

RESEARCH SHOWS IT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SPECIFIC HEART FAILURE PATIENTS.

LET'S CHECK IT OUT.

>> THIS IS SOMETHING NEW WE STARTED THIS YEAR.

THE WIFE AND I BETWEEN WATCHING BALL GAMES ON TV OR THE OLYMPICS.

WE JUST PLAY WITH THIS.

BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE GOING OUTDOORS IN THE COLD AIR IT BRINGS ME DOWN TO MY KNEES.

I'M THOMAS.

I LIVE IN NEW YORK.

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO I HAD A LITTLE FLUTTERING IN THE HEART.

TO THE COLD AIR GOING OUTSIDE, IT DOES SOMETHING AND I COME IN A FEW TIMES AND I DROPPED TO THE FLOOR AND I WOULD JUST LIKE UNBELIEVABLE.

AND I HAD TO CALL THE AMBULANCE AND THEY WOULD TAKE ME IN.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, THEY WOKE ME UP AND SAID YOU ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK.

WOKE UP BECAUSE THEY WERE TALKING TO ME, SHAKING ME, WAKING ME UP AND ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE AROUND THE BED.

I SAID WHAT IS GOING ON?

THEY SAID YOU ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK.

I SAID I AM?

I DON'T FEEL A THING.

>> HEART FAILURE IS EXTREMELY COMMON AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL DRG DIAGNOSES, PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THE HOSPITAL AND GET DISCHARGED, CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IS ONE OF THE TOP TWO OR THREE DISCHARGE DIAGNOSIS IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND THIS IS THE CARDIOMEMS DEVICE.

THIS IS A CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE, MANUFACTURED BY A COMPANY CALLED ABBOTT ME.

AND ITS PURPOSE IS TO MONITOR THE BLOOD PRESSURE WITHIN THE LUNG CIRCLE LAYINGS ITSELF-- THE LUNG CIRCULATION ITSELF.

TO COMPARE THE MEASUREMENT IT IS GETTING TO A PATIENT'S BASELINE AND TO DETERMINE OR HELP US DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE PATIENT IS DEVELOPING CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE OR WILL DEVELOP SYMPTOMS OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY DEVELOP AND SO WE CAN BE PROACTIVE IN TREATING THE PATIENTS.

>> THE BEST WAY TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME IS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PUT THIS IMPLANT BY MY HEART.

HE SAID THAT THEY HAD A NEW WAY OF TESTING YOUR HEART AT HOME.

>> THIS LITTLE CARDIO MEMS DEVICE IS ATTACHED TO A CATHETER OR THIN TUBE.

WE WILL PLACE THE CATHETER INTO THE VEIN IN THE GROIN AND GO DIRECTLY INTO THE HEART.

PRIOR TO DEPLOYING THE CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE, WE WILL TAKE A CATHETER AND GO INTO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CHAMBERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HEART, THE RIGHT UPPER CHAMBER, THE RIGHT ATRIUM, THE LOWER CHAMBER, THE LOWER VENTRICLE.

AND THE BLOOD VESSELS THAT GO INTO THE LUNGS, THE PULMONARY ARTERY.

AND THEN WE WILL GET THE BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS DIRECTLY IN EACH ONE OF THOSE CHAMBERS.

ONCE WE GET THAT BASELINE, WE TAKE THAT CATHER OUT, WE THEN AND TAKE THE CARDIOMEMS HF AND FOLLOW THE SAME PATH AND POSITION IT INTO A BRANCH THAT GOES BEHIND THE LEFT LUNG OF THE PATIENT.

>> I WAS IN THERE AND OUT IN WITHIN DAY.

THE OPERATION ROOM I WAS CONSCIOUS AND IT DIDN'T EVEN HURT OR NOTHING.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE BUTTERFLY IS HOW THE CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE STAYS IN PLACE IN THE BLOOD VESSEL SO AS WE DEPLOY IT, THESE LITTLE WINGS, IF YOU WILL, WILL COME OUT, PUSH UP TO THE SIDE OF THE BLOOD VESSEL AND KEEP THE DEVICE ANCHORED INTO THE BLOOD VESSEL ITSELF.

>> STARTING READY.

IT GOES BEHIND THEIR BACK, BEHIND THE LEFT LUNG AND THEY HAVE A WAND DEVICE CONNECTED TO IT AND IT WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THIS DEVICE.

IT WILL TAKE THE PRESSURE THAT THIS CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE IS RECORDING AND IT GETS TRANSMITTED TO A SECURE WEBSITE FOR THE OFFICE TO THEN LOOK AT IT AND THEN SAY OH Mr. X HAS A PULMONARY ARTERY PRESSURE OF WHATEVER IT IS AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE NORMAL.

SO HE IS GOOD.

OR OH NO, Mr. X IS PULMONARY'S ARTERY PRESSURE IS 20% HIGHER THAN IT WAS AT BASELINE.

HE IS GOING TO BE GETTING INTO SOME TROUBLE.

WE NEED TO ADJUST THE MEDICINE OR GET HIM IN THE OFFICE.

>> HAS THAT HAPPENED.

>> OH YES.

TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT TIMES BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THE READING WAS A LITTLE FLUTTERED.

>> DO NOT TURN OFF YET.

CONNECTING TO... >> NOT EVERY PATIENT REQUIRES A CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE.

THERE ARE PRETTY STRICT CRITERIA.

THE PATIENT HAS HAD TO BEEN ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITHIN 12 MONTHS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE BEFORE THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR THE CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE.

IF WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB IN KEEPING OUR PATIENTS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO END UP WITH A CARDIOMEMS HF DEVICE.

>> I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE HAVING IT.

IT GIVES ME PEACE OF MIND THAT I CAN DO WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING DURING THE DAY OR IF I LEAVE FOR THE DAY, I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE FINE.

>> MOTION SUCCESSFUL.

>> I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN YOUR HAND RIGHT NOW.

>> YES.

>> IT'S AMAZING HOW LITTLE IT IS.

AND ALSO THIS WAS YOUR PATIENT.

SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT HIM.

>> SO THE PATIENT THAT Dr. SILVERMAN FOLLOWED FOR SOME TIME AND AS HE MENTIONED, HE HAD A HEART ATTACK, HE HAD SINCE HAD HOSPITALIZATIONS AFTER THAT.

AND HE ALSO HAS, I THINK I CAN SHARE, SOME LUNG DISEASE, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE WITH LUNG DISEASE BECAUSE THEY COMPLAIN OF SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THE HEART FAILURE CLINIC AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH IS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SEE PATIENTS A LITTLE MORE FREQUENTLY.

WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS MONITORING THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW AND WE ARE ABLE TO DECIPHER LIKE THEY ALLUDED TO, SEE IF PATIENTS ARE GETTING INTO TROUBLE BEFORE THEY GET INTO TROUBLE.

WE DO READINGS TWICE A WEEK.

AND WE EVALUATE THOSE AND IF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES AND WE ACTUALLY DID RECENTLY MAKE A CHANGE.

SO IT'S VERY-- ITS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL FOR US.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE QUITE AN ADVANCE.

I KNOW I HAD A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MINE WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO HIS WIFE AND HE SAID MY SHOULDER HURTS.

I THINK-- AND SHE SAID MAYBE WE SHOULD CALL THE DOCTOR.

AND HE SAID NO.

IT'S BECAUSE I MOVED THIS CHAIR THE OTHER DAY, YOU KNOW.

I'M GOING TO THE KITCHEN TO MAKE DINNER.

GOES TO THE KITCHEN, 10 MINUTES LATER HE IS DEAD.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU SUSPECT ANY KIND OF SYMPTOM?

>> OBVIOUSLY THE MOMENT YOU KNOW YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A CHEST PRESSURE LIKE SYMPTOMS, TYPICALLY IN THE COMMON MAN, LIKE AN ELEPHANT SITTING ON YOUR CHEST OR PAIN RADIATING DOWN YOUR LEFT ARM.

BEST THING IS TO GO TO THE NEAREST EMERGENCY HOSPITAL BECAUSE YOU CANNOT DRIVE, YOU CANNOT ASK A FAMILY MEMBER TO DRIVE TO THE HOSPITAL.

YOU GO TO-- CALL 911 AND GO TO THE NEARBY EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.

AND IF THE HOSPITAL IS CAPABLE OF DIAGNOSING, BASICALLY THEY ALWAYS DO THE EKG AND BLOOD WORK W. THAT WE KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE HAVING AN HEART ATTACK OR NOT.

THE BASIC TEST IS GOOD ENOUGH TO TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED URGENT ATTENTION OR, LIKE MAYBE NEED MORE TESTING TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.

IF YOU ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK AND IF THE HOSPITAL HAS THE CAPABILITY TO DO THE HEART CATHIZATION, THE NEXT THING THEY TAKE IT FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM TO THE CATH LAB TO DO THE ANGIOGRAM OF THE HEART AND HEART CATHERRIZATION AND IF THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT BLOCKAGE CAUSING ALL THE SYMPTOMS, THEN THEY GET THE STENT PLACEMENT.

BUT IF THEY HAVE TOO COMPLEX A DISEASE, THEN SOMETIMES EMERGENCY OPEN HEART SURGERY.

BUT THE BEST THING IS TO SEEK HELP.

THE MORE YOU DELAY, MORE CHANCES THAT IT DECREASES YOUR SURVIVAL, EVEN IF YOU SURVIVE, LESS CHANCES OF BEING IN HEART FAILURE IN THE LONG-TERM IF YOU SEEK HELP RIGHT AWAY AND IF THE PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER, THEN YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE WILL BE BETTER AND SURVIVAL RATE RATHER THAN RATING FOR MORE COMPLICATIONS BECAUSE THAT DECREASES SURVIVAL AND EVEN IF YOU SURVIVE, THERE IS RISK OF HEART FAILURE AND COMPLICATION IN THE LONG RUN.

>> DON'T SECOND GUESS YOURSELF.

DON'T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING BECAUSE THERE MAY NOT BE A TOMORROW MORNING.

AND YOU NEED TO DIAL 911 AND GO TO THE NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM AND GET CARE.

NOT EVERY SHOULDER PAIN IS HEART PAIN.

BUT IT'S BEST TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY ABSOLUTELY.

>> NOBODY AT THE EMERGENCY ROOM IS GOING TO POINT TO YOU AND LAUGH YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A HEART ATTACK.

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE CALLED THE AMBULANCE.

>> IF THEY DO, THEY WON'T BE WORKING THERE.

>> HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED HEART HEALTH?

>> IT'S REALLY AFFECTED IT MANY, MANY WAYS.

NOT JUST THE EFFECT OF THE VIRUS ON PEOPLE AND HOW THEY FEEL AFTER THEY HAVE RECOVERED, BUT THEIR FEAR OF GOING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, THEIR FEAR OF HAVING CHEST PAIN AND CONTRACTING COVID FROM THE EMERGENCY ROOM WHICH IS LESS LIKELY TO HAPPEN THAN BEING IN A ROOM LIKE THIS.

BECAUSE PEOPLE WITH COVID ARE HERE AND THE NON-COVID PATIENTS ARE HERE AND EVERYBODY IS TESTED.

>> THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME BECAUSE I WAS HAVING A KIDNEY STONE ATTACK AND MY WIFE SAID GO TO THE E.R.

AND I SAID I AM NOT GOING TO THE E.R.

I'M TERRIFIED OF GETTING COVID.

>> AND THAT IS A BIG MISTAKE.

IN CAN FACT-- IN FACT, WHAT WE SAW AFTER THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID IS PEOPLE COMING TO THE COVID WHO HAD SURVIVED A HEART ATTACK AT HOME AND THEY-- THEIR FIRST PRESENTATION AFTER THEY DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO GO OUT OF THE HOUSE, WAS CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.

IT WAS NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE.

AND THIS WAS NATIONWIDE AND WORLDWIDE, IN FACT.

ITALY RECOGNIZED IT BRF ANYBODY BEFORE ANYBODY.

BUT AND EVEN IN THIS COUNTRY, LARGE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, MAYO, CLEVELAND CLINICS ALL REPORTED FIRST PRESENTATION WITH HEART DISEASE WAS HEART FAILURE BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GET COVID, WHICH IS VERY FAR FROM THE TRUTH.

SO THE ENCOURAGINGMENT IS IF YOU ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK, FORGET COVID BECAUSE YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM THE HEART ATTACK THAN YOU ARE FRO COVID.

SO GET TO THE HOSPITAL, GET TAKEN CARE OF.

DON'T IGNORE YOUR CHEST PAIN AND GET YOURSELF TAKEN CARE OF.

>> SO COVID, IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT IT DAMAGES THE HEART?

YOU DO HEART IMAGING.

SO IS THERE EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT COVID DAMAGES THE HEART.

>> IN THE ACUTE PHASE, YES, IT CAN LEAD TO INFLAMMATION AROUND THE HEART CALLED PR-- PERI CAR INDICTS.

MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE NOT SEEING LONG-TERM PROBLEMS BUT THEY CAN BE AN ISSUE IN THE BEGINNING BUT MOST OF THE TIME BUT OTHER ISSUES, IF YOU GET COVID, YOU ARE AT RISK OF HAVING BLOOD CLOT ANYWHERE FROM THE LEG TO WITHIN THE HEART.

THAT CAN GIVE YOU HEART ATTACK BECAUSE WE CALL THAT AS HYPERCOMPANY AGUILAR-- HYPER COAGULAR STATE.

IT COULD BE LOWER EXTREMITY CLOTS GOING TO THE LUNG.

THESE ARE ALL THE COMPLICATIONS OF WHAT WE SEE WITH THE POST-COVID SIM DROMS.

>> TELL US ABOUT PREVENTIVE TEAR.

HOW DO YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM DEVELOPING HEART DISEASE?

>> BIG THING WE TALKED ABOUT IS QUITTING SMOKING, WATCH YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE, DON'T TRY TO OVER INDULGE TOO MUCH.

I THINK REGULAR PHYSICAL EXERCISE IS A HUGE THING.

EATING PROPERLY, MAKING SURE YOU HAVE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN YOUR DIET UNDERSTAND DON'T OVERINDULGE IN THE SWEETS.

>> THE GOOD MEDITERRANEAN DIET IS A GOOD IDEA?

>> ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.

>> HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE HAVE OUR HEART CHECKED OUT?

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

GO EVERY YEAR OR WHAT IS A GOOD IDEA?

>> THOSE PARAMETERS ARE CHANGING.

CERTAINLY IF YOU PRESENT WITH SYMPTOMS THAT MIGHT REPRESENT CARDIAC SOURCE FOR CHEST PAIN, AT THAT POINT, ALMOST REGARDLESS OF AGE, YOU KNOW, 30S AND UP, YOU ARE GOING TO GET-- YOU SHOULD HAVE A STRESS TEST.

IF THAT'S NORMAL, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RISK FACTORS-- YOU KNOW, WE CALCULATE A STORE OR RISK SCORE BASED UPON YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS OF DATA, MAYBE 40 OR 50 YEARS WORTH OF DATA THAT WE CAN CALCULATE A RISK SCORE THAT HELICOPTERS US DETERMINE WHAT ONE'S RISK IS.

-- THAT CAN HELP US DETERMINE WHAT ONE'S RISK IS.

AGE, DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, WHAT IS YOUR CHOLESTEROL, HDL CHOLESTEROL SPECIFICALLY.

IF THAT SCORE SAYS IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS YOU HAVE A 20% RISK, WELL, NUMBER ONE START TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF.

NUMBER TWO, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE ASSESSED EVERY PERIOD OF TIME.

NOW IF YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE STRESS TEST AND GOOD LOOKING EKG AND NOT HAVING SYMPTOMS BUT HAD A CARDIAC EVENT, IT'S EVERY TWO YEARS.

YOU DON'T NEED TO GET ON A TREAD MILL EVERY SIX MONTHS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE OKAY.

IF YOU START HAVING SYMPTOMS, DIFFERENT STORY.

SO THAT'S NOT A HARD AND FAST RULE, BUT PROBABLY EVERY TWO YEARS IF YOU ARE NOT HAVING SYMPTOMS.

IF YOU ARE HAVING SYMPTOMS, DIFFERENT STORY.

>> MORE OFTEN THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE, BUT I WANT TO THANK OUR GUESTS FOR JOINING US.

DR. RUSSELL "RUSTY" SILVERMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE HEART FAILURE CLINIC AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH DR. GANGA KABBLI, DIRECTOR OF CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH AND MS. DANA ZABOROWSKI, ADULT NURSE PRACTITIONER FOR THE HEART FAILURE CLINIC AT ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH BE SURE TO VISIT WCNY.ORG/CYCLEOFHEALTH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND OTHER EPISODES.

FOR CYCLE OF HEALTH, I'M DR. RICH O'NEILL.

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN.

ON THE NEXT CYCLE OF HEALTH, SPORTS MEDICINE.

TOUR THE SPORTS MEDICINE DEPARTMENT AT CAYUGA MEDICAL CENTER AND DISCOVER NEW WAYS DOCTORS ARE TREATING SHORTNESS OF BREATH IN ATHLETES.

THEN JOIN US FOR A CONVERSATION WITH THE DREAM TEAM AS WE SIT DOWN WITH THE FOLKS ON THE SIDELINES ALL WORKING TOWARDS ONE GOAL: KEEPING STUDENT ATHLETES HEALTHY.

ALL ON THE NEXT CYCLE OF HEALTH.