Cardiovascular Care

Aortic diseases are conditions that affect your aorta, the body’s largest artery. It’s one of the most common types of cardiovascular disease. Since the aorta is so large, it can be affected by conditions like aortic aneurysms, which can change the size, shape and function of the aorta.

The 2 most common types of aortic aneurysms are:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), which develop in the abdomen
• Thoracic aortic aneurysms, which develop in the chest

Electrical signals in the heart tell it when to pump blood, which creates your heartbeat. Sometimes, those signals get mixed up, causing your heart to beat irregularly.

This is called arrhythmia, and it happens when the heart doesn’t beat properly — either too fast, too slow or irregularly. While it’s not always serious or long-term, it can affect your heart and overall health.

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a type of irregular heartbeat. Instead of your heart beating in a steady rhythm, it beats unevenly or too fast. This happens because the electrical signals in your heart aren’t working right.

Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. It’s often a symptom of an underlying heart condition, like coronary artery disease, where the blood vessels supplying the heart become narrowed or blocked.

There are two main types of angina:

• Stable angina: This is the most common type. It happens during physical activity or stress and goes away with rest or medication. The pain usually lasts for a few minutes and feels like pressure, tightness, or heaviness in the chest.
• Unstable angina: This is more serious and can happen at rest or with minimal physical activity. The pain may be more intense, last longer, and may not go away with rest or medication. Unstable angina is a medical emergency because it can lead to a heart attack.

Cardiac amyloidosis is a condition where abnormal proteins, called amyloid, build up in the heart tissue. These proteins interfere with the heart’s ability to function properly and can lead to heart failure. The buildup of amyloid proteins in the heart can cause the heart walls to thicken, stiffen, and lose their elasticity, making it harder for the heart to pump blood efficiently.

There are two main types of cardiac amyloidosis:

• AL (primary) amyloidosis: This form is related to a type of cancer called multiple myeloma. The amyloid proteins are produced by abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow.
• ATTR (transthyretin) amyloidosis: This type occurs when a protein called transthyretin misfolds and forms amyloid deposits. It can be hereditary or caused by aging.

Sometimes, the body makes too many white blood cells. These extra cells form clumps (called granulomas) that can inflame the organs and tissues they normally protect, like the heart. This condition is called sarcoidosis, and when it affects the heart, it’s known as cardiac sarcoidosis.

Cardiac sarcoidosis is a rare immune system disease where granulomas cause inflammation and can weaken the heart’s electrical system, which controls your heartbeat.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) in adults happens when the heart doesn’t develop properly before birth. It can affect the heart’s chambers, valves, blood vessels or electrical pathways. CHD is genetic, meaning it runs in families. In fact, having CHD in parents is the highest risk factor. That’s why it’s important to be aware of your family’s health history.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic condition where the heart muscle becomes too thick. This makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the body. When the thickened muscle blocks blood flow from the heart, it’s called obstructive HCM. If the thickened muscle doesn’t block blood flow, it’s called nonobstructive HCM.

Valvular and structural heart diseases happen when one or more of the 4 heart valves don’t circulate blood properly, leading to conditions like stenosis, prolapse and regurgitation. Valvular heart disease can be something you're born with (congenital) or something that develops over time (acquired).

Vascular diseases affect how blood vessels circulate blood, nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. When your vascular system isn’t working properly, it can have a big impact on your health and quality of life. These include:

• Peripheral artery disease
• Carotid artery disease

With cardiac rehabilitation, our team of experts provides skills and guidance to help get your heart health back on track. This includes stretches and exercises similar to physical therapy. We also support you in making lifestyle changes—like quitting tobacco, eating a healthy diet and managing stress—your new normal.

Interventional cardiology is a specialty that treats heart and blood vessel conditions using catheters. Compared to open heart surgery, it requires smaller incisions and less recovery time.

These treatments can restore blood flow, repair holes in the heart, implant lifesaving devices and reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack.

Implantable medical devices can help restore key heart functions like beating regularly and pumping blood when the heart can’t perform them on its own.

People who have had a heart attack, cardiogenic shock or advanced heart failure may need mechanical circulatory support to help pump blood through the body when the heart is too weak. A ventricular assist device (VAD) is one type of treatment, either long-term or short-term, to ensure vital organs get the blood they need.

With routine heart screenings and preventive cardiology, along with maintaining healthy habits, you can keep your heart healthy and strong. The secret to wellness is sticking with healthy habits over time. What you eat and how you move today can protect you from heart disease in the future.

Common heart attack symptoms include:

• Significant chest pain
• Significant difficulty breathing
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat 

It's very important to know that heart attack symptoms present differently in women and assigned females at birth (AFABs). Some of the most common heart attack symptoms for women include:

• A sudden cold sweat
• Back, neck and jaw pain
• Chest pain, pressure and discomfort
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Stomach pain

If you're unsure of your symptoms, please call your doctor's office or a triage nurse from your health plan. If you're experiencing severe symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Certain risk factors like age and family can increase your risk of a heart attack. But there are many heart-healthy choices you can make to lower your risk, including:

• Don't use tobacco in any form
• Eat a heart-healthy diet 
• Increase your physical activity to at least 2.5 hours of aerobic activity per week
• Limit alcohol consumption to up to 1 drink per day for women and assigned females at birth (AFABs), and up to 2 drinks per day for men and assigned males at birth (AMABs)
• Maintain a healthy blood pressure of ideally less than 130/80, but at least less than 140/90
• Maintain a healthy body weight, with an ideal BMI less than 25 but at least less than 30 depending on what you've identified with your doctor
• Manage your cholesterol levels, with an ideal HgA1c of less than 7% but may vary depending on goals you've identified with your doctor
• Manage your stress and avoid stressful situations whenever possible
• Monitor blood sugar if you have diabetes