Health News
Because cardiovascular disease kills more Kentuckians than anything else, and because what mostly kills them is a heart attack, and because if you can get help within 90 minutes of that heart attack your chances improve dramatically, this state needs a vastly improved way to get heart attack patients to the right hospital in a short amount of time. So explains Dr. William Dillon, an interventional cardiologist in Louisville, who writes an guest column in the In The Prime health blog of The Courier-Journal. He punctuates his point with a graph, right, that shows that Kentucky now ranks 49th of 50 states in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) deaths. AMI is doctor-speak for heart attacks. (American Heart Association graph)
Dillon's medically reasoned plea is for a more systematic regional network -- like one that have saved lives in North Carolina -- is "to transfer AMI patients to dedicated (heart catheterization lab) centers throughout the state." But Dillon also knows that many Kentuckians are not listening to their bodies as closely as they might. He writes that "another source of delay in AMI treatment is that, on average, patients wait more than 90 minutes before seeking medical attention. Furthermore, 50 percent of AMI patients drive to a hospital or clinic without calling EMS. Every year, a significant number of these patients needlessly die en route to the hospital." He adds then that health education -- in this case, early notification of needing EMS help -- is an important component in saving Kentuckians' lives. (Read more)
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Health News
Cardiologist: Kentucky needs better way to get heart attack patients to dedicated catheterization centers in time
Because cardiovascular disease kills more Kentuckians than anything else, and because what mostly kills them is a heart attack, and because if you can get help within 90 minutes of that heart attack your chances improve dramatically, this state needs a vastly improved way to get heart attack patients to the right hospital in a short amount of time. So explains Dr. William Dillon, an interventional cardiologist in Louisville, who writes an guest column in the In The Prime health blog of The Courier-Journal. He punctuates his point with a graph, right, that shows that Kentucky now ranks 49th of 50 states in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) deaths. AMI is doctor-speak for heart attacks. (American Heart Association graph)Dillon's medically reasoned plea is for a more systematic regional network -- like one that have saved lives in North Carolina -- is "to transfer AMI patients to dedicated (heart catheterization lab) centers throughout the state." But Dillon also knows that many Kentuckians are not listening to their bodies as closely as they might. He writes that "another source of delay in AMI treatment is that, on average, patients wait more than 90 minutes before seeking medical attention. Furthermore, 50 percent of AMI patients drive to a hospital or clinic without calling EMS. Every year, a significant number of these patients needlessly die en route to the hospital." He adds then that health education -- in this case, early notification of needing EMS help -- is an important component in saving Kentuckians' lives. (Read more)
- Know The Signs Of A Heart Attack And Don't Ignore Or Dismiss Them; Quick Action Can Be The Difference Between Life And Death
Many people who have a heart attack initially ignore the symptoms or dismiss them. For the best chance of survival and preserving heart function, you should not ignore these symptoms, and should get help quickly. Heart disease is the leading cause of...
- Uk's Advanced Ventricular-assist Device Program For Heart Patients Saves And Improves Lives
Two years ago, John Doty was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, and though antibiotics originally helped, the pneumonia came back with a vengeance, and he went to see a cardiologist. He found out his heart was severely weakened with an ejection fraction...
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Can Lead To Better Outcomes
By Paul A. Gurbel, M.D. Director of Cardiovascular Research at the Center for Thrombosis Research at Sinai Hospital Results of a recent study published in Circulation reveal that patients who complete a full complement of 36 cardiac rehabilitation sessions...
- Helping Heart Patients Grow Stronger
If you hurt your back, you would probably get physical therapy to speed up your recovery. But if you had a heart attack, would you know to take advantage of a similar program called cardiac rehabilitation, which strengthens your heart muscle and lowers...
- For Women's Heart Health, Knowledge Is Power
While breast cancer gets plenty of attention, more women die of heart attacks. The fact is more than 500,000 women die from cardiovascular disease each year, according to the American Heart Association. That is about twice as many than from all types...