Love Your Heart: A Cleveland Clinic Podcast

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating or is not beating sufficiently to maintain adequate blood flow and life. This can happen to anyone. Dr. Michael Emery and Dr. Tamana Singh, Co-Directors of the Sports Cardiology Center, talk about what happens to an athlete who experiences sudden cardiac arrest and everything that happens after.

Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms that originate in the bottom chambers of the heart called the ventricles. Dr. Oussama Wazni talks with Dr. Pasquale Santangeli, the Director of the Ventricular Arrhythmia Center, about treatment and management for patients with ventricular arrhythmias.

A common question our heart doctors get asked is "Can I do anything to prevent a leaky heart valve or anything to keep it from getting worse?" Dr. Marc Gillinov, Chairman of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, explains that a leaky heart valve cannot be prevented and that routine monitoring is a great way to catch if it becomes worse.

The new year often brings resolutions to improve your health and wellbeing. Natalie Salvatore, RN, speaks with Dr. Dennis Bruemmer about adopting lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy in the new year.

Large aneurysms at risk of splitting or bursting may require surgery. Your surgeon may use an open repair technique where a graft is sewn in to repair the damaged part or an endovascular repair where a stent graft is put into place using a thin tube inserted in to the artery. Dr. Patrick Vargo talks about aortic aneurysm surgery. Drs. Milind Desai, Eric Roselli and Vidyasagar Kalahasti discuss con...

If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke than someone who doesn’t have diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. People with diabetes are also more likely to have other conditions that raise the risk for heart disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Natalie Salvatore, RN, talks with...

The holiday season can be a very happy time but also a very stressful time and can create challenges for managing your heart health. Julia Zumpano R.D. and Natalie Salvatore RN discuss some common challenges and ways to stay on track during the holiday season including shopping, traveling and holiday gatherings.

Connective tissue provides support to many structures within the body, such as the heart valves and blood vessels (the aorta). Dr. Vidyasagar Kalahasti, Director of the Cardiovascular Marfan Syndrome & Connective Tissue Clinic, discusses connective tissue disorders and your aorta.

Hypercholesterolemia is more commonly known as high cholesterol. FH is a type of high cholesterol that someone gets because of genetics. Dr. Leslie Cho and Dr. Ashish Sarraju talk about FH and how to treat it.

Making healthy choices during the holidays can be challenging. Julia Zumpano R.D. lists 4 tips to help you stick to your diet.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) causes thickening of the heart muscle, left ventricular stiffness, mitral valve changes and cellular changes. For many years, management of this condition was surgery or alcohol ablation. Mavacamten is the first FDA approved drug to help treat patients with HCM. Drs. Steven Nissen and Milind Desai talk about this novel treatment option and the benefits of being tr...

The aorta (the main artery that carries blood away from your heart) can become damaged and weak, causing it to become wider (aneurysm) or torn (dissection). Dr. Frank Caputo discusses, along with Drs. Eric Roselli and Milind Desai, the importance of screening not just for you, but your family too.

Changing the way you eat can be challenging not only because it is a lifestyle change, but the recommendations are always changing too. Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian in the Department of Preventive Cardiology, explains how to find reliable information and find a solution that is right for you.

Congenital heart disease and pulmonic valve disease require a coordinated team approach that includes an initial evaluation, explanation of therapeutic options, innovative transcatheter and surgical therapies and consultative follow-up. Dr. Joanna Ghobrial discusses diagnosis and management for patients with a leaky or tight pulmonic valve.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Dr. Faisal Bakaeen and Dr. Aaron Weiss discuss one treatment option, coronary artery bypass grafting. Coronary artery bypass grafting (also called CABG) has expanded to include a variety of innovative procedures to meet the needs of all patients, from those who are low risk to the...

Many patients with congenital heart disease also have pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is high blood pressure in the arteries that supply blood to the lungs. This is different from the blood pressure measured by a cuff on your arm. Dr. Joanna Ghobrial and Dr. Neal Chaisson discuss how different teams of doctors work together to care for p...

The tricuspid valve ensures that blood flows from the right atrium (top) to the right ventricle (bottom). It also prevents blood from flowing backward between those two chambers. Sometimes, the tricuspid valve does not close properly and blood leaks back into the right atrium instead of going to the lungs. This is called tricuspid regurgitation. Dr. Tom Wang talks about why this happens and how to...

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as omega 3s or fish oil, claim to have a benefit for cardiovascular health. Dr. Steven Nissen and Dr. Luke Laffin discuss the results of recent trials focusing on the use of N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and if the effects live up to the marketed claims or if they have more undesirable effects.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and inappropriate sinus tachycardia can both lead to syncope. Dr. Oussama Wazni continues the discussion about syncope with Dr. Kenneth Mayuga and Dr. Jeffery Courson.

Syncope (pronounced “sin ko pea”) is the medical term for fainting or passing out. Dr. Oussama Wazni and Dr. Kenneth Mayuga discuss why someone may feel like they are going to pass out, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Calcium is needed for your heart and bones. Calcium supplements have been looked at to see if they are causing more harm than good. Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian in the Department of Preventive Cardiology, talks about the importance of calcium and how to get it naturally though the foods you eat. Learn more about the Preventive Cardiology Program at Cleveland Clinic.

Heart disease does not mean that you need to give up your active lifestyle or sport. The Sports Cardiology Center team works with all athletes along the spectrum - high school and college age athletes, professional and masters athletes, recreational exercisers, to weekend warriors to help them achieve their goals. Dr. Michael Emery and Dr. Tamana Singh discuss the benefits of having a specialized...

Calcium supplements may increase the risk of aortic stenosis. Dr. Samir Kapadia and Dr. Nicholas Kassis discuss supplemental calcium, both with and without Vitamin D, and the connection to aortic stenosis, the need for aortic valve replacement and the risk of death.

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) is a complex surgery to remove long-term blood clots from arteries in your lungs that can’t be treated with medication. Drs. Nicholas Smedira and Haytham Elgharably discuss what to expect if you need a surgery to remove these clots.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests are an incredibly helpful test for your care team to learn about your heart. Dr. Deborah Kwon, Director of Cardiac MRI at Cleveland Clinic talks with Christopher Nguyen, PhD, Director of MRI Research in the Advanced Imaging and Simulation Center for MRI, about the benefits of cardiac MRI and how they are working together improve this technology and the patien...