Clinical Cardiology & Congenital Heart Diseases

The human heart is continually operating as a muscular pump, contracting, on average, 80 times per minute to propel 8000 liters of blood through body tissues each day. Whereas damaged skeletal muscle has a profound capacity to regenerate, heart muscle, at least in mammals, has poor regenerative potential. This deficiency is attributable to the lack of resident cardiac stem cells, combined with roadblocks that limit adult cardiomyocytes from entering the cell cycle and completing division. Insights for regeneration have recently emerged from studies of animals with an elevated innate capacity for regeneration, the innovation of stem cell and reprogramming technologies, and a clearer understanding of the cardiomyocyte genetic program and key extrinsic signals. Methods to augment heart regeneration now have potential to counteract the high morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiomyopathy, also called dilated cardiomyopathy, the heart becomes expanded and weakened and inadequate to pump effectively. The many causes of heart failure is cardiomyopathy. Heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump strongly enough to meet the needs of the body. If the heart doesn't pump with the force needed, the body's tissues will not get enough oxygen. Heart failure develops gently as the heart muscle weakens. If the right side of the heart is affected, the heart is unable to pump adequate blood to the lungs to be oxygenated. If the left side of the heart is affected, it is unable to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. In most cases, heart failure affects both left and right side, but it can occur on just one side.

Coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as ischemic heart disease. Coronary heart disease is a common term for the buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries that could lead to heart attack. With coronary artery disease, plaque first grows within the walls of the coronary arteries until the blood flow to the heart’s muscle is limited. It may be chronic, narrowing of the coronary artery over time and limiting of the blood supply to part of the muscle. Or it can be acute, resulting from a sudden rupture of a plaque and formation of a thrombus or blood clot. A common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may travel into the shoulder, arm, back, neck, or jaw.

Cardiovascular (heart) surgery is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. Frequently, it is done to treat complications of ischemic heart disease, correct congenital heart disease, or treat valvular heart disease from various causes including endocarditis, rheumatic heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Obesity can increase the risk of stroke due to inflammation caused by excess fatty tissue. This can lead to difficulty in blood flow and an increased risk of blockage, both of which can cause strokes. It's also a major cause of gallstones, osteoarthritis and respiratory problems. Having diabetes or pre-diabetes puts one at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. One can lower its risk by keeping the blood glucose (also called blood sugar), hypertension, and blood cholesterol close to the recommended target numbers the levels suggested by diabetes experts for good health. Two of the best ways to lower your risk of stroke are by eating a heart healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, eating sensible portions and being physically active on a regular basis.

Cardio metabolic disorders are assemblage of health circumstances associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The morbidity and mortality severity increased clinical attention to address risk factors predisposing individuals to these cardiovascular disorders. Diabetes affects this vital function as prolonged, poorly controlled blood glucose levels increase the risk of the body's blood vessels narrowing or becoming blocked. The medical conditions and their related risk-factors can control the complications by evidence-based treatments while improving health literacy.

Pediatric Cardiology plays a major role in the diagnosis of congenital heart defects, performing diagnostic procedures such as echocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, and for the ongoing management of the sequel of heart disease in infants, children and adolescents. In childhood, a disorder which involves both the heart and lungs problems, called Pediatric Cardiopulmonary disease. Epicardia adipose tissue (EAT) is the visceral fat deposit over the heart and is often increased in obese subjects. EAT is connected to Cardio Metabolic risk factors and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults, but this relationship is not well known in children. (MI) Myocardial infarction is rare in childhood and adolescence. Nursing and care for pediatric cardiac patients also plays an important role for the cure of pediatric cardiac patients. The discussion about the widespread problem of the baby heart diseases as Myocarditis, Hypertension, Cardiomyopathy, Heart Murmur, Hypo plastic Left Heart Syndrome, Pericarditis Effusion, Cardiac Arrest, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia, Cyanotic Heart Disease, and Pediatric Arrhythmia.

Cardiovascular nursing is a specialty that works with patients who suffer from numerous conditions of the cardiovascular system. Cardiac nurses, also called cardiovascular nurses or cardiology nurses, are registered nurses (RNs) who have specialized in the cardiovascular system. They work with patients who have heart problems by following the treatment plan a cardiologist assigns, monitoring patient progress and administering medication to help the healing process.

Cardiovascular nurses facilitate treat conditions like unstable angina, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, cardiac dysrhythmia and congestive heart failure under the direction of a heart specialist (cardiologist). Cardiovascular nurses perform postoperative care on a stress test evaluation, cardiac monitoring, surgical unit, health assessments and vascular monitoring. Cardiovascular nurses must possess specialized skills including defibrillation, electrocardiogram monitoring and medication administration by continuous intravenous drip.

Cardiovascular pharmacology deals with the medication of cardiac diseases. Cardiac Pharmacology is for patients with cardiac diseases, and the different drugs associated with cardiovascular therapies. The Cardiac Drugs are used to treat conditions of the heart or the circulatory or vascular system. Many classes of cardiovascular agents are available to treat the various cardiovascular conditions. In this sub topic we have Sodium, potassium, calcium channel blockers, ACE-inhibitors and Cardiac biomarkers. There are many types of cardiovascular drugs in the market that include Cardiac glycosides, antiarrhythmic agents, antianginal agents and antihypertensive agents.

Clinical trials are research-oriented study that investigates whether a medical methodology or device is safe for use and effective for humans being. These studies will show that medical approaches work best for certain diseases or groups of individuals. The available Clinical trials produce data is best for health care decision making. A clinical trial will help to find a new strategy, treatment or device. There are four possible outcomes from a clinical trial. Positive trial, Non-inferior trial, Inconclusive trial, Negative trial.

Although heart disease may often be thought of as a problem for men, heart disease is the most common cause of death for both women and men. One challenge is that some heart disease symptoms in women may be different from those in men. Fortunately, women can take steps to understand their unique symptoms of heart disease and to begin to reduce their risk of heart disease. The most common heart attack symptom in women is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But it is not always severe or even the most prominent symptom, particularly in women. And, sometimes, women may have a heart attack without chest pain.