Cardiovascular Disease Foundation

02/25/2022

From the Desk of Dr. F. Zalman
Over two years since COVID hit all our lives, and it is still with us… and so many of our friends and family members have been affected, and so many have gotten so il, or have died. Now we know that this virus can severely affect the heart and lungs, and even pulmonary hypertension has been reported!
And Long COVID is another feared complication…
Friends, the fight for accurate, unbiased medical information you can use continues!
Please tune in for updates. ❤️🙏

03/25/2019

From the Desk of Dr. Zalman— we have talked about knowing your numbers— BP, BS (BLOOD SUGAR), Cholesterol(Especially Bad Cholesterol (LDL), Triglycerides, and now another independent RISK FACTOR for heart attack— Lpa- if you did not know about this little gem— it is now a known , likely causal risk factor not only for Cardiovacular disease like heart attack and stroke, but also for Calcific AORTIC STENOSIS. Please get checked for these risk factors, eat healthy, exercise as tolerated... and let’s PREVENT HEART DISEASE and STROKE... Together as One!

01/22/2019

Happy New Year’s Greetings From Dr. Frank Zalman and friends at the CVDF — Let’s renew our commitment to healthy habits, and prevention so we all may avoid hospitalization in 2019, if at all possible!!! It’s SO SIMPLE, EVEN a CARDIOLOGIST COULD DO IT 😎👍❤️— Lower salt to help lower BP, Low animal fat for Cleaner Arteries, and a CLEANER PLANET, LOW SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOODS to help with diabetes prevention, AND WALK 45 min to 1 hour DAILY.... yes you can make the time for that( would you rather wait in an ER or hospital room???)!
Live long and prosper friends, and may the force protect all people of good will!

11/17/2018

From the desk of Dr. Zalman— No surprise that mortality in the USA has started to increase again, given the disarray in quality of care that is being delivered to our people. Not only is it very expensive, but accountability appears to have decreased, and while lip service is paid to the delivery of good care, there appear to be fewer and fewer consequences for the delivery of substandard or no care. Errors of both omission and commission occur, and excuses abound. With the coming of Thanksgiving, we have much to celebrate and be grateful, but we cannot forget that we still have a long way to go. Please take care of yourselves, be careful driving, and remember to Check Your Numbers — Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, and Activity Level— Stay healthy, out of the Hospital if possible, and many Blessings to all people of good will. 🙏

10/28/2018

Greetings from the desk of Dr. Zalman— much has happened in the Prevention of Heart and Cardiovascular Disease in the last few months! We continue to see improvements in the TAVR universe, with findings that a hospital that does at least 100 aortic valve percutaneous replacements each year has fewer complications than those who do less. Furthermore, interventional cardiologists who have performed more than 100 such procedures have fewer complications such as strokes, and even deaths. So please, patient be aware... check the hospital’s and physician’s numbers, and know your numbers too! And please have a sweet day, and rest of your year filled health, tolerance and peace.

09/01/2017

Dear Friends. It goes without saying that we all have been following the hardships, catastrophe, and courage of Houston and the people in all the ravaged surrounding communities. Who has not felt the fear of the family with toddlers on the roof, as the dark waters are rising, and the trepidation, and awesome wonder at the spirit and courage and fortitude of all the people of Houston and surrounding areas as they faced and survived this monster storm and flood. And let's not forget the love and care of complete strangers coming to the aid of other complete strangers in the hour of need.
As a cardiologist, the size and awesome force of this disaster and the impact on those with heart disease, diagnosed and undiagnosed, can only be compared to that faced by the civilian populations during the huge and horrific battles of World War I and II. It is almost unimaginable that there are those in this world selfish and power hungry enough to drive our world to the brink of an even larger catastrophe. For those tyrants of other countries who doubt the American Spirit, and may be tempted to bully or threaten or harm our people, I hope they have watched how we all have come together during the catastrophe that is Harvey, and that they remeber that our people are strong, independent, and free, and despite differences, the forces, history, and character that unites us is much stronger than any political differences.
Please help the families, children, and the older and disabled folks that have suffered so much with this Hurricane in any way you can, and many thanks and prayers for all who have braved this horrible disaster and have helped one another so selflessly, with so much grace, resourcefulness and fortitude! May God bless
and countless thanks to all our first responders, and volunteers who have saved so many lives! We all are forever in your debt!

08/22/2017

Knowing Your Numbers-- I gave a talk on Know Your Numbers several years ago, and it has become a very important phrase in the preventive cardiology world because it empowers patients to be more aware of major risk factors which they can help lower. These are blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and thyroid function or TSH. These are relatively Straight Forward Measurements, either blood tests or physical measurement with a blood pressure cuff. Weight, height and activity levels also are important, and not smoking or drinking more than a 4 ounce glass of wine daily has also popped up as a a risk factor, especially for atrial fibrillation. To control blood pressure, a low salt diet is recommended. It turns out that thyroid problems also can affect the blood pressure, heart rate and heart ❤️ function! Wine or alcohol consumption is generally a risk factor for both heart rhythm problems and some cancers. At low levels it may be generally ok, but it's not certain that any benefit besides mood and social factors derive from any alcohol consumption. When we account for the vehicle accidents and trauma and significant deaths related to impaired driving the risk is even greater and more immediate. So please be aware, healthy habits and knowing your numbers,doing something to improve, and talking with both your healthcare professional, family, and friends can add a Good Number of Fun, Healthy Years to everyone's life!
From the Desk of Dr. F. Zalman, MD, FACC

04/07/2017

Stroke Prevention: Recent Advances in the Prevention of Stroke includes better Blood Pressure Control using Not Only Effective medications, lowering Cholesterol, Controlling Blood Sugar, the PREVENTION DIABETES AND CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, but also the New Oral direct acting Anticoagulants which can be used very effectively when compared to warfarin in non-valvular related Atrial Fibrillation. When it comes to diet, stopping Smoking, and moderate walking, go for it. When it comes to medication seek an experienced, caring health professional, and please remember -- When in Doubt don't Suffer in Silence! Please Visit Us Soon for more Updates!

03/14/2016

HOT NOW! Women Do Get Coronary Artery Blockages, but at a lower rate than men, even in the elderly! Proof positive that women are on the whole, the stronger half of human kind( if anyone had any residual doubts!) A study published in JACC reports low coronary calcium scores especially in women over 80 years of age indicate lower risk of coronary artery disease and dementia!

01/01/2016

Happy New Year from your friends at the Cardiovascular Disease Foundation! We are dedicated to helping people of all ages lead healthier lives by sharing knowledge and advances affecting heart, health and the biological sciencs with our community. We wish all people of good will a Healthy and Happy and Successful NewYear!

09/29/2015

Cardiac Care and Treatment needs to encompass stress management and nutrition as cornerstones for prevention and ongoing optimization of traditional heart care. Countless lives and the entire population's quality of life can be improved by these methods.

09/26/2015

Lots of advances in cardiology this year including the wireless pacemaker implanted percutaneously, and the intravenous treatment of hyperlipidemia, recently approved by the FDA in patients who are either intolerant of Statins or have significant side effects. Follow-us at the CVDF foundation for more updates!
Frank Zalman, MD, FACC

05/14/2015

In honor of National Women’s Health Week, take your to the next level by pledging to ! Each day this week, we’ll be posting ways to reconnect to your heart health commitment—and encourage other women to join in. Use this checklist to plan your week, and share pictures of your heart health success using !

01/30/2015

POVERTY ADVANTAGE?--In the Costa Rica Blue Zone, people live well below the U.S. Poverty level yet are over twice as likely to reach a healthy age 90. A Nobel-Prize winning scientist actually found the longest telomeres among the poorest in Nicoya.

01/30/2015

01/30/2015

The Foundation provides grants to support patient safety education and research and medical liability research.

01/30/2015

February is American Heart Month! The ACC’s CardioSmart initiative and the American Diabetes Association have teamed up to discuss the link between diabetes and heart disease during a Twitter Chat on Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. ET. Follow and and hashtag to join the conversation.

01/30/2015

Community-wide programs targeting cardiovascular disease risk reductions may improve population health over 40 years, according to a recently published study: http://ow.ly/HhmZK