Articles

18 June 2018

it may be difficult or impossible for some people to walk on a treadmill and provide sufficient effort for the results of the examination be conclusive. A substitute test may then be requested by your doctor. The Dobutamine stress echocardiography is one of the possibilities.

18 June 2018

Beta-blockers are frequently used in cardiology. They are easy to identify on your medication list, the letters "lol" appear at the end of their name.

29 May 2018

The CHEF offers us a healthy recipe

13 May 2018

Some arrhythmias can be expressed by more rapid beats than normally. A heart beat higher than 100 per minute is called tachycardia.

08 May 2018

Some arrhythmias may manifest themselves in a slower rhythm than usual. A heart rate slower than 60 beats per minute is called “bradycardia”

01 May 2018

There is no doubt that beyond the physical differences between men and women, these two groups differ from each other in many ways. It’s also the case for coronary artery disease in men and women.

29 April 2018

This is a test used to evaluate the cardiac muscle’s contraction and to measure its capacity to pump blood.

06 February 2018

Several drugs are used in cardiology. This article allows you to know what kinds of drugs are prescribed to you and to understand their actions.

03 February 2018

Like the name says, it is the combination of a treadmill and a cardiac echography. The goal is to clarify the results of an ambiguous treadmill test, to confirm the result or more precisely determine the location of the blockages.

23 January 2018

When used with a decreasing dosage of nicotine, the electronic cigarette can increase the success rate for quitters by 50 to 70%.

13 January 2018

Most commonly, angina takes the form of chest pain that radiates towards the jaw and the left arm. It can also be felt in many other ways, especially as back pain, or only in the jaw or the left arm.

06 January 2018

The heart is a muscle fuelled by oxygen, which is delivered by the coronary arteries. Any reduction in the oxygen supply can have serious and sometimes irreversible consequences for the heart.

30 December 2017

The CHEF offer us a main course... with chocolate

21 December 2017

The CHIEF offers us a special salad!

11 December 2017

In the medical field and especially in cardiology, we often associate a snowstorm with a recrudescence of consultations in the emergency room for heart problems. And the shovel is usually identified as the culprit for those problems!

25 November 2017

In the past, several medical discoveries have been made as the result of errors or purely by chance (example: discovery of penicillin).

Oh boy! The Holidays... Here we are again at the Holiday season... Every year, it’s the same thing! Rush at work, last minute shopping, weather and temperature changes and the celebrations

Everybody wishes each other a wonderful year. “Stay healthy!” It’s really nice to wish each other to “stay healthy”, but do you take care of your own health?

A heat wave can greatly destabilize the condition of a patient suffering from heart failure

Unless you live on another planet, everyone knows that inhaling cannabis, or pot, is now legal in Canada. However, beware… Legal does not necessarily mean safe and banal.

If you saw wartanks on your street and heard bombs dropping, you would know that danger is near and that there is a war going on. The present danger is real, all the more so because the enemy is invisible.

Here’s a video on the web that shows us how to make handwashing effective in preventing infection with dye.

So, the virus is now inside the cell it infected with the genetic material needed to create a limitless number of viruses. The cell is industrious and soon after overflows with new viruses, burst open and the viruses are free to migrate and invade other cells. The replication carries on.

In this COVID-19 period linked to the coronavirus a recurring question is: should I wear a face mask when I go out to public spaces?

In this era of individualized medicine, the gender of the patient should be taken into account. Contrary to the general perception that cancer is the leading cause of death for women, it is now time to recognize that the reality.

In 2000, more than 25% of the population in the world had high blood pressure (also called hypertension). It is estimated that this number could climb to nearly 30% in 2025.

Risk factors for the development of plaques include age, male gender, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity.

We all heard someone say that he or she had water "on" the lungs or even, water "in" the lung. What is it exactly? Should we say "on" the lungs or "in" the lung? Both situations exist.

Mitraclip is the name of a catheter procedure used to reduce severe mitral insufficiency, i.e. to reduce valve leaking in a significant way.

Installation of a pacemaker is required for patients with certain heart rhythm disorders. This installation occurs during a short hospitalization when it is a situation requiring a rapid correction of the cardiac electricity or as a short hospitalisation when it is required without urgency.

A pacemaker is an implantable device that stimulates the heart in order to generate a heartbeat. This electronic device powered by a battery that is slightly thicker than a 2-dollar coin. The pacemaker is generally implanted beneath the skin just below the left collarbone.

Sudden death is caused by the stoppage of the heart’s main function: pump. This results in a loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest and death if resuscitation manoeuvres are not done quickly.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation can save lives. The author of this story acknowledges that if he can eat every night with his family, it is thanks to these people who knew what to do.

Une chirurgie cardiaque suscite bien des interrogations, des inquiétudes et pour certain, de l'angoisse. Ces sentiments sont bien naturels. Cette peur de l'inconnu peut être apaisée. Voici un texte rassemblant les interrogations de nombreux patients.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, or cardiac MRI, is a powerful test with an unparalleled quality of images which makes it possible to visualize the heart and to evaluate its function.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a 10 seconds recording of the electricity of the heart

A Holter monitoring is a continuous recording of the ECG, the electricity generated by your heart, during 24 hours.

It is the same type of test used to examine a baby in a pregnant woman. In the case of a cardiac ultrasound, the heart is organ of interest.

ABPM stands for Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring. This is a test where a blood pressure cuff (called tensiometer) is installed around your arm to record your blood pressure blood over a 24-hour period.

The treadmill is a test in cardiology that evaluates, indirectly, possible blockages in the coronary arteries. It also helps evaluate the cardiovascular condition.

This exam is a treadmill test accompanied by a radioactive tracer injection to verify through images the circulation condition of the cardiac muscle. This test is called the “Myocardial scintigraphy perfusion imaging at exercice”, “MIBI at exercice” or “MIBI with a treadmill”.

The myocardial scintigraphy with persantine or “mibi persantine” is an imagery exam done at the nuclear medicine department. ThIs screening test helps determine if thoracic pains or other suspicious symptoms originate from the heart..

A doctor may ask that this exam be done in order to better analyse certain parts of your heart that were not well seen at the transthoracic echocardiogram. It is a very good exam to see the interior of the left atrium and ventricle as well as the cardiac valves.

For various reasons, some people have difficulty walking on the treadmill and therefore cannot provide adequate effort for the results to be conclusive. In this case, your doctor may ask for a different exam to substitute the treadmill. One of these tests is called the dobutamine myocardial scintigraphy.

This exam consists of comparing the contraction of the heart at rest with its response after the injection of a product into a vein that simulates physical activity. The results of a cardiac ultrasound allow for this.

Long-term cardiac electricity recording provides information about your heart rate, your heart's regularity, whether there are moments of electrical silence, and more. There are various types of monitors that record heart signals over longer periods of time. These systems collect cardiac signals at the surface on the skin (external). King of heart, Cardiomemo, Alivecor

Long-term cardiac electricity recording provides information about your heart rate, regular heart, if there are moments of electrical silence, and more. The Reveal, Biomonitor or Confirm RX collect cardiac signals through a miniature monitor that is implanted under the skin (internal).

Everyone agrees that health is very precious if not the most precious belonging. Don’t we wish each other to stay healthy on New Year’s Day? But would not it be better to prevent than cure?

The simple action of smoking a cigarette seems very banal.  But you should know that the inhaled smoke inhaled contains more than 4000 chemical compounds, with more than 50 of them known to cause cancer.

The benefits of healthy life habits on a person’s health, including regular physical activity, have been known for a long time.

Deciding to take up physical activity after a pause is not something to be taken lightly. It all depends on the type of physical activity contemplated and the health of the person concerned.

Retrospectives of the many developments of cardiology on my years of practice.

Dr Ludwid Rehn is consider by some as the father of cardiac surgery.

His plan was to access the mitral valve through a small incision at the bottom of the left atrium and then create an incision in one of the diseased leaflets of the mitral valve.

On June 6, 1944 marked history as “D-Day”, but also because it is the day Harken successfully removed a metallic fragment from a right ventricle.

Considered a pioneer of heart surgery by some and father of open-heart surgery by others, Dr Bailey had a fulfilled career.

This young surgeon followed the footsteps of doctors Harken and Bailey when he successfully completed the mitral valve operation as described by his mentors.

Dr. Mustard received his medical diploma for the University of Toronto in 1937.His medical profession began as a surgeon at the Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in 1947. He was then known as an innovative surgeon.

Dr Bigelow affirmed that the cold reduces drastically the metabolism of these animals and the oxygen needed and consumed by the vital organs is minimal during this period.

Doctor F. John Lewis is the first surgeon to successfully complete an open-heart surgery by closing an atrial septal defect in a young 5-year old patient, Jacqueline Jones.

Stopping hypothermic circulation leaves the surgeons only a few minutes to perform the operation. This short time, however, does not allow for more complex surgeries. Dr. Lillehei will form a group to try to solve this problem.

After the death of a patient, Dr Gibbon had an idea that made heart surgery what it is today

Cardiac catheterization is an examination that the doctor prescribes to verify the work done by the heart and to measure different pressures in the heart and lungs. A short stay at the hospital is expected for this examination.

During the era where developments in cardiac surgeries in children with congenital abnormalities, such as a hole between the two ventricles, sudden death by blockage in electrical conduction in the heart is one of the causes of catastrophic deaths.

The pressure inside the catheter generated by the injector gave it a new orientation and injected the dye directly into the right coronary. Both doctors were convinced that death was imminent. They expected to see this 47-year-old patient die from ventricular fibrillation.

Treating heart failures caused big challenges before the cardiac surgery era. At that time, the therapeutic arsenal was limited and counted on relieving pulmonary congestion using diuretics and removal of blood.

The most terrifying of operative complications is ventricular fibrillation. It is a fatal arrhythmia. The ventricles act like Jell-o, but do not contract any longer. Blood circulation is now impossible. This electric chaos leads to death within a few seconds.

There is no doubt that coronary units have reduced mortality rates since the mid-1960s from 30% to 15%. Their creation on the other hand was not easy!

The adventure of surgical treatment of these cholesterol plaques in the coronary arteries is incredible. Many surgeons have tried experiments to arrive at the bypass surgery that we know today.

For several years, in his laboratory with the help of friends and his wife, he tried to develop his idea of ​​crushing a cholesterol plaque in a coronary artery using a balloon.

Dr. Ross focused mainly on wound-healing mechanisms. His studies made him wonder: could the wound-healing process give rise to disease, given particular circumstances? As if yin was the healing process and yang its harmful opponent

This chapter highlights Akira Endo's determination to fight coronary heart disease. The medical community was aware that cholesterol was at the origin of this atheromatous plaque and that, despite the 2 treatments available at the time, no one knew what the future might bring. The first procedure meant taking a vein from another body part and bridging it over the obstructed area; the alternative was crushing the plaque with a tiny balloon. A historic advance was about to arise!

A bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital anomaly i.e. present at birth.

I hope that my experience will shed a light on what to expect when living with an aortic valvular defect. Never hesitate to ask whatever questions you may have and that worry you. It is unwise to remain in doubt. It is possible to live a normal life!

The patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a small opening between the 2 upper chambers of the heart, the right and left atriums. It is a hole in the atrial septum, a congenital defect known as an atrial septal defect (ASD). In other words, a heart formation abnormality present at birth. It is estimated that the malformation is present in nearly 25% of the population.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), known in earlier times as "ox heart disease", refers to a massive hypertrophy of the left ventricle of the heart. The thickening of the heart muscle is not secondary to any other existing disease.

My diagnosis was highlighted from the very first days of my life. I suddenly ran out of air due to a surge of transient blood pressure in my lungs and had be connected to a ventilator for 8 days because of respiratory distress.

Blood is composed of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.

Each cardiac contraction create a wave in the arteries that can be perceived with the finger

Everyone talks about cholesterol, the good one and the bad one that causes clogging of the arteries, but very few people know the vital role of cholesterol in the human body.

The platelets are small particles found in the blood.

« Doctor, my legs are swollen! » It is not rare that we hear this sentence. There are different levels of swelling. Most people who work standing all day can see the linings of their socks on their skin when they take them off in the evening.

The majority of chest pains often remain without identifiable causes. We must make sure that the heart is not the source of this pain. If you have thoracic discomfort, and it worries you, speak to a doctor.

The circulatory system is about to take place a few days after fertilization of the egg by the spermatozoon.

Syncope, fainting or loss of consciousness is transient fainting due to decreased blood flow towards the brain.

Vasovagal syncope is part of the so-called reflex syncope family. It is by far the most common of all syncope. It is estimated that 1 in 4 people will have at least one episode of vasovagal syncope in their life. Most of the time, standing for a long period...

Syncope du to carotid sinus syndrome is a syncope secondary to appropriate or inappropriate stimulation of blood pressure sensors in the arteries of the neck, the carotid arteries.

As the name suggests, this type of syncope is related to a situationas intestinal stimulation (bowel movements), urination, coughing, sneezing, post physical activity, etc.

Orthostatic syncope occurs when there is a decrease in pressure when a person goes from lying down to an upright position. During this change of position, the effect of gravity causes the blood in the veins remains in the legs, causing a drop in pressure.

Cardiac syncope, as the name suggests, can be a consequence to a heart disease. Normally, this type syncope is due to a heartbeat disorder. A natural pacemaker and the cell circuits act as electrical wires controlling the heart rate. When this pacemaker or these wires are affected, the heart beats too slowly...

On the 22nd day of the embryo’s development, the cardiac tube forms constrictions and enlargements, called curvatures. These are the very primitive structures of the heart to come.

The cardiovascular system is the first system to begin functioning in the embryo. The cells programmed to form the heart are placed at the very end of the embryo, in front of the structures that will become the head and the brain.

“Doctor, I'm always out of breath!” Short breath... a symptom not always easy to describe and to find “THE” cause! Shortness of breath is a subjective symptom. In other words, you can feel it, but it cannot be measured.

Heart fatigue most often accompanies a chronic heart condition. It is rarely the first symptom of a recent heart problem, but it usually shows up in some cases when the breath starts to be short.

Today, knowing the good and bad cholesterol rates in your blood is crucial to help prevent cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarctions and strokes (cerebrovascular accidents), for example.

Syncope, fainting or loss of consciousness is transient fainting due to decreased blood flow towards the brain.

It can be quite scary for you to admit that your heart, a vital organ, is sick. Your fear is even more intense if you know someone who died from a heart attack...

A heart attack causes numerous psychological reactions that are absolutely normal. These consequences are linked to the loss of your once healthy heart and to the major changes your new state of health generates both to your inner self and to your relationships with others.

Here are some tips to pay attention to your psychological and physical well-being, as a heart attack can affect your physical health as much as your psychological health.

It is essential also to remain vigilant as regards psychological symptoms that may appear during this critical period. Between 1 and 5 people will develop depression after a heart attack. When to worry about it.

Blood pressure is like the water pressure in the pipes of your house. It makes it possible to have water supply everywhere in the house on any floor.

Triglycerides have been considered as a lesser risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It may be noted, however, that there is now an increase of publications in the medical literature supporting the theory that high triglyceride levels, or hypertriglyceridemia, do play a causative role in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Today, knowing the good and bad cholesterol rates in your blood is crucial to help prevent cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarctions and strokes (cerebrovascular accidents), for example.

My name is Léonie, I have been living with type 2 diabetes for 35 years, a chronic disease for which there is no known cure but that can be treated and controlled.

Diabetes means cardiovascular disease. Indeed, one of the heaviest burdens of diabetes is the development of cardiovascular complications that damage the heart, kidneys and blood vessels.

Bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the inner lining of the heart that most often attacks one or several heart valves. As its name suggests, bacteria in the bloodstream are the cause of this infectious illness. This article bears on the issues raised above for better knowledge and understanding of prevention against bacterial endocarditis.

The heart has its own electrical system. Its function is to synchronize the muscle contraction in an effective way.

There are 2 heart valves called tricuspid. One is the Pulmonary valve and the other is the Aortic valve.

The heart is a muscular organ located in the center of the chest, between the two lungs.

There are two valves separating the ventricles from the atria. They are called atrioventricular valves.

Just like the human body, the heart has its own skeleton.

The heart is a muscle that relies on oxygen to work properly. The delivery of this invaluable fuel is provided by the coronary arteries.

The systemic capillaries are the junction points between the arteries and the veins of the great circulation. It is at that this microscopic level that breathing and feeding of the cells of the human body occur.

Red blood cells are filled with oxygen at the level of the pulmonary capillaries. They are the junction between the small arteries and veins of the pulmonary circulation. It is at that microscopic site that ‘’respiration” really occurs.

A partition forms in the atrioventricular canal to form two atriums, the right and the left, in the middle of the 4th week. This separation of the atrium or atrial septum occurs in two segments.

The heart is a muscular organ located in the center of the chest, between the two lungs. It is a amazing organ, almost untiring. It makes the blood circulate throughout the whole body.

In the case where the clot partially obstructs the coronary artery or one of its branches, the cardiac muscle it feeds still receives oxygen, but in potentially limited quantity. This situation is unstable, this is unstable angina, now called NSTEMI.

In the case where a clot completely obstructs a coronary artery, the underlying cardiac muscle suffers and it is painful. It is a “heart attack”. This is a medical emergency!

Coronary angiography is an examination that allows the professional to visualize the arteries of the heart known as the coronaries. As a result, it is possible to demonstrate the presence of obstructions like the presence of atheromatous plaques in these arteries.

Coronary angioplasty, commonly known as coronary dilatation, is the procedure to repair coronary arteries with blockages. This repair follows an examination called coronarography, which allows visualization of coronary strictures.

Coronary stents have been around for about 3 decades. The purpose of this article is to provide answers to questions frequently asked by patients and their family members.

An almost universal and highly relevant question is asked over and over again after a dilation procedure in an artery of the heart is: "How long is it good for?" Somewhere in the answer to this question, you will hear the term "restenosis" and you will want to know more about it.

Coronary artery bypass surgery is a cardiac surgery performed to supply blocked arteries with atheroma plaques. It consists in making vascular bridges over partial or total obstructions of the arteries of the heart, because bridges help us cross obstacles.

Overnight, you found yourself in a hospital room and were told that you had a heart attack. What happened to you, how to live after this event.

Returning home after undergoing coronary artery dilatation (coronary angioplasty) and stent insertion may cause concern to the patient. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions.

A SCAD is, as the name implies, a tear in the wall of a coronary artery that occurs suddenly without any identified cause.

Being told that I needed cardiac surgery came as a total shock to me. I would like to share my experience with you, hoping that it will help you navigate through this procedure. I also intend to touch on some of the issues you might be worrying about, as well as address questions you are probably wrestling with.

More than half a million of people suffer from heart failure in Canada

The title is striking and a little disturbing. Do not get me wrong. A non-cancerous chronic disease such as heart failure has two treatment phases. The first is well known. It is the standard or “active” care. The second, palliative care, focuses on patient comfort.

Active therapy has two elements that always go hand-in-hand. On one hand, there is the pharmaceutical therapy, or a treatment consisting of pills to be taken regularly. The combination of these drugs varies from one patient to another.

Successful treatment of a severe chronic condition such as terminal heart failure depends largely on the implementation of an "individualized action plan". This plan includes tips for dealing with a particular situation and / or changes to the medication during this period.

Supportive treatment should be considered as soon as a diagnosis of severe heart failure is made and not at the end of one’s life when the disease progresses. Early palliative care has shown to improve the patient's quality of life, reduce the frequency of hospitalization and even prolong life expectancy.

Heart failure requires regular health follow-ups, which are in fact regular medical monitoring in an external clinic. The frequency of these follow-ups varies according to the evolution of your symptoms and the progression of the disease.

The Takostubo syndrome is a heart disease from the cardiomyopathies family. It is also called the broken heart syndrome or more figuratively, apical ballooning syndrome or acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy. There are different types of damage but it is usually the tip of the heart (apex) that is weakened.

When it is possible to assume that the patient is likely to have only a few months to live allows the patient and his family to be prepared adequately for a peaceful and dignified departure in the chosen healthcare facility or at home. Imminent end-of-life signs ...

The goal of this type of treatment is to provide maximum comfort to the patient, both physical and psychological. Active Listening is part of the comfort care therapy and is more than likely its most useful component at this stage.

Thank you for letting me into your home. I would like to tell you about my first experience with the medical world. I am 52 years old and had never been sick in my entire life, until the eye-opening incident that happened to me recently.

An athlete’s heart includes all cardiac changes secondary to repeated, high-intensity physical activity. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the heart muscle thickens. It is one of the changes that can be observed.

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle. One of them is called Arrhythmia-Induced Cardiomyopathy, where the main heart muscle, the left ventricle, weakens due to abnormal heart rhythms. This condition is potentially reversible.

AF is an arrhythmia characterized by chaotic cardiac beats which are irregularly irregular.

A problem with the rhythm, or arrhythmia, is a problem with the electric system that makes the heart beat. There are two main categories of problems: stimulation disorders and conduction disorders.

Defects of electrical conduction by the two specialized branches of the ventricles can occur. One calls these conditions bundle branch blocks - right if it affects the right branch and left if it affects the left branch.

Breathing in causes the lungs to inflate and creates a rush of blood to the heart through the vena cava or large veins. The increase in blood volume accelerates the rhythm of the sinoatrial node, resulting in faster heartbeats.

The electrical system can be overexcited.The extrasystoles are supplementary heartbeats, either extras or premature, or before their time, pulses. The extrasystoles may be a consequence of an overexcited system at the atrium and/or ventricle levels.

Atrial flutter is an arrhythmia characterized by a very fast, but regular heartbeat. It can climb beyond 150 beats per minute.

Inappropriate tachycardia affects more than 1% of the population. However, it is not considered an arrhythmia, but is rather a condition where the heart rate at rest is faster than normal and where there is an inappropriate acceleration of the heart rate when a minimal effort is done.

The supraventricular tachycardia is a type of arrhythmia characterized by rapid, sustained palpitations that start and stop abruptly.

An automated external defibrillator, better know by its abbreviation "AED", is a device that assists you when helping a person who has collapsed to the ground. It may save his or her life. This small, battery-operated, device is easily transportable and simple to use. Anyone can use it, with or without cardiovascular resuscitation (CPR) training.

My heart started skipping beats that night. I admit that my cardiologist tried to reassure me. This is easier said than done, I was still worried that my heart would let me down, no matter what. It was only some time later that I realized that my doctor was right.

Commotio Cordis is not a disease. Rather, it is a complication of a fatal arrhythmia that occurs accidentally in an individual with no known pre-existing heart defect of any kind. The name Commotio Cordis translates from Latin and means "agitation of the heart", in connection with the sudden destabilization of the synchronization of the heart's electrical system. It is called ventricular fibrillation, a lethal arrhythmia.

The chef offer us an healty dish

The Chef offers us ... a treat!

The CHEF offers us a healthy recipe

The Chef's dish!

The chef offers us a recipe for cholesterol ... Be advised!

Here is a proposal from our chef for a healthy recipe easy to prepare.

The chef presents us a stimulating recipe!

This medication group is effective in one of three main cell branches found in blood, the platelets. We especially use these medications when dealing with an at-risk patient or someone who has already had a heart attack or stroke.

The anticoagulants are medications that prevent the forming of blood clots by blocking the molecules produced by the liver, which are necessary for coagulation.

This class of drugs can be divided into two categories, according to their affinity for calcium channels in the heart or in peripheral vessels. This group of drugs is widely used for hypertension, but some are used in the control of heart rate or angina.

We use ICEA to reduce blood pressure, favor optimal healing of the heart after a heart attack and allow the heart to regain strength.

The ARA is therefore used to reduce blood pressure, favor an optimal healing of the heart after a heart attack and give back strength to the heart.

This group of medication blocks an enzyme that creates cholesterol. Consequently, there is a reduction of the cholesterol in the blood, mainly the “bad” one (LDL).

Nitrates are molecules that help expand the blood vessels, causing a decrease in blood pressure. They are mainly used to reduce angina

This broad family of medication ceases arrhythmia, maintains the heartrate and/or slows the heartbeat.

Digoxine is a medication that slows the heartbeat and assists the heart when it contracts.

The combination of Sacubitril / Valsartan is used exclusively with patients with heart failure with lowered ejection fraction.

compliance, taking medication is a big problem! Several problems can arise from this lack of regularity or stopping a drug, which is why your doctor and pharmacist insist on maintenance and regular treatment.

It is not always easy to follow the doctor’s prescription. The reasons giving for not taking medication regularly or stopping it can usually be divided into three categories: knowledge, will and power.

Ivabradine is a drug used primarily in the treatment of heart failure. Its role is to slow the heartbeat in order to better control the electricity of the heart.

Blood thinning means that an anticoagulant therapy is prescribed to treat blood coagulation disorders and prevent blood clots from forming. People wonder why patients who take NOACs are not required to do as many thorough follow-ups of their condition, such as frequent blood tests, as those who are treated with Coumadin™. This text will shed light on the subject.

When the mitral valve flowsor, in other words, has lost its seal and allows the blood of the ventricle to return to the left atrium, we have what is called mitral insufficiency. This situation can be acute (sudden) or chronic (progressive).

Aortic valve sclerosis means that this valve has lost its flexibility without necessarily having a reduced opening. It has long been believed that sclerosis, or the loss of flexibility - or a calcification - of the aortic valve, was solely the result of mechanical stress imposed by each ventricular contraction.

Acute mitral insufficiency is the result of a sudden break in the mitral apparatus, whether it is the rupture of a muscular pillar, the rupture of a mitral cord, or the rupture or breakage of a mitral leaflet.

Mitral prolapse occurs when, at closure, the mitral valve leaflets collide with one another. A bulge forms towards the left atrium