BJC Cardiology

02/17/2023

It's still Heart Failure Awareness Week during American Heart Month.

Recently, former Cardinals catcher and MLB broadcaster, Tim McCarver, passed of heart failure.

Most people don't know what are the signs or symptoms of Heart failure. Here is educational material on heart failure.

02/14/2023

Feb 12-18 marks Heart Failure week during Heart Disease month in America.

Heart failure is the leading cause for hospitalization for those older than 65.

Being hospitalized for heart failure has profound significance. Roughly 25-33% of those hospitalized for heart failure do not survive another year. That survival rate is worse than all but a few stage 4 cancers. By five years after a heart failure hospitalization, only 25-50% survive.

However, recent medical and surgical advances have been shown to improve the likelihood for one's survival following a heart failure hospitalization. In fact, being on all four pillars of medical therapy for those who have a weak heart (Heart Failure reduced Ejection Fraction or HFrEF) not only reduces the likelihood for heart failure hospitalization but adds several years of life compared to those who are on just two or three heart failure medicines. Most studies unfortunately indicate that only a small fraction of patients with HFrEF are on all four pillars of medical therapy.

Be sure to ask your doctor if you're taking the four pillars if you have a weak heart and find out what you can do to feel better.

Try clicking on this link to learn more about heart failure https://hfsa.org/patient-hub/additional-resources

02/02/2023

Go Red For Women Day is the first Friday of February. The day recognizes the impact of cardiovascular disease on the lives of women and their communities.

I hope you'll join us in our efforts to raise our awareness, recognition, and treatment of heart and vascular disease, by wearing red this Friday.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the #1 cause of death in men and women in the United States and in the world. Much of CVD can be avoided. And when CVD is encountered, the appropriate treatment is imperative to reduce the risk of major adverse events (heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and death), improve quality of life, and extend life.

🎉 Let's get the American party started! 🥳️

It's time to introduce the 12 heart disease and stroke survivors from across the nation who will serve as the 2023 faces of the American Heart Association’s national Go Red for Women movement. Meet your 2023 Real Women Class of Survivors:

❤️️ Naomi James, 34, born with a congenital heart defect
❤️️ Ann Ramirez Duda, 53, who received a heart transplant
❤️️ Brittany Williams, 32, who survived sudden cardiac arrest
❤️️ Yael Shvetz, 54, who survived a rare hemorrhagic stroke (brain bleed)
❤️️ Dawn Turnage, 52, who survived a mini-stroke
❤️️ Dina Pinelli, 48, who survived three widow-maker heart attacks
❤️️ Jia Wu, 30, who survived multiple mini-strokes
❤️️ Margarita Pineiro, 43, who survived spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD)
❤️️ Sharell Weeams, 44, who survived sudden cardiac arrest
❤️️ Leslie Jordan, 38, who survived multiple strokes
❤️️ Ceirra Zeager, 23, who survived a heart attack
❤️️ Shemellar Davis, 46, who survived postpartum cardiomyopathy

These national ambassadors serve a one-year volunteer term representing a diverse sisterhood of survivors who actively, urgently and passionately champion our movement to eliminate the No. 1 killer of women, cardiovascular disease.

Learn more about these incredible ⤵️
http://spr.ly/61823eQXk

01/27/2023

Not sure how many groups can legitimately say they changed the local healthcare landscape in a positive way, but we are very proud to have helped bring exceptional, accessible interventional cardiovascular services to the communities in which we serve.

Parkland Health Center has opened a cardiac cath lab to provide advanced heart care for the community.

01/25/2023

The offices of Midwest Heart Institute & Guzon Cardiovascular are closed today. Stay safe!

12/22/2022

The offices are closed early today due to the inclement weather. Stay safe and please call our exchange if you need assistance.

11/02/2022

I'm pretty proud to have had the opportunity to implant the first two Impulse Dynamics Optimizer Smart Mini cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) devices not only in St. Louis but in the state of Missouri in the past week.

The device is FDA-approved to improve the symptoms, quality of life, and performance of those whose lives are significantly limited their weak heart. After implant, recipients often experience a noticeable improvement within hours and durable benefit years after implant.

If you or someone you know suffers from congestive heart failure (CHF) due to a weak heart despite maximal medical therapy, this device may be the answer to your/their hope for a better life.

To learn more and discuss whether you are an appropriate candidate for this or other heart failure treatment options, please call 6369317101 or 5737010090 to set up an appointment.

Special thanks to the whole team along each step of the way, from those who help to coordinate each procedure, to those who prepare and educate our patient before and after their procedure, to those who keep our patients as humanly safe as possible in the OR.

Not pictured: Barb Neiswander Cindy Naeger Ralph Albanese

01/29/2022

We are very proud to announce our new partnership with BJC Healthcare
https://youtu.be/-bobuRPHp7c

Parkland Health Center has opened a cardiac cath lab to provide advanced heart care for the community.

05/07/2020

The FDA has approved a drug to treat patients with low ejection fraction congestive heart failure (CHF).

Patients with an ejection fraction less than 40% who were given this drug when added to the usual therapies for those with a weak heart were 30% less likely to be hospitalized for CHF and about 20% less likely to die.

To learn more about what is the new standard of care for CHF, come see us!

The widely anticipated approval makes dapagliflozin (Farxiga, AstraZeneca) the only drug in its class to be indicated for heart failure in the absence of diabetes.

04/24/2020

As we see more of our rural patient population increasingly test positive for COVID-19, we urge our patients and their families to continue to follow the CDC's recommendations for now even as local governments may relax stay at home orders.

WARNING:
Drinking, injecting, or inhaling rubbing alcohol or other household disinfectants is HARMFUL to the body. DO NOT INJECT, INGEST, OR INHALE THESE SUBSTANCES.

These substances are intended and made to disinfect hard surfaces and not the inside of one's body.

(You wash your cars with water but putting water in your gas tank can ruin your car. Same concept but worse if you're drinking Lysol. Just don't!)

A DIFFERENT NOTE
If you are experiencing chest discomfort or having trouble breathing or stroke symptoms, please call our office or seek immediate medical attention.

Heart attack and stroke hospitalizations are down 40%. I suspect this is a statistical anomaly due to people not going to their doctor/NP/hospital due to fear of getting C19 and suffering (and dying sometimes) of heart attack, stroke, or heart failure at home.

04/09/2020

In keeping with the CDC's recommendations, we are advising that our patients use a face covering in public, especially if visiting one of our offices, and maintaining 6 feet of distance from those you encounter in public.

An embedded link to a video on how to make your own face covering is provided here:

https://youtu.be/tPx1yqvJgf4

Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, shares ways to create your own face covering in a few easy steps. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with ou...

04/07/2020

If you take brand name medicine(s) made by Bristol-Meyers Squibb (including Eliquis, Coumadin, Plavix), you may qualify to get them for free.

For more info, call (800) 721-8909 or click on the embedded link here:
https://news.bms.com/press-release/philanthropy-news/bristol-myers-squibb-expands-patient-support-programs-help-newly-uni

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced an expansion of its existing patient support programs to help eligible unemployed patients in the U.S. who have lost their health insurance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.