Make Sure Your Heart Is Ready for Winter

An estimated 15 million Americans are affected by coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaque in the arteries that could lead to a heart attack. Just like you prepare for the winter months by making sure your car is in tip top shape, you should also be thinking about protecting your heart through exercise, diet, regular doctor visits and adhering to medications as prescribed by your doctor.

 

For some people with CAD, doctors may recommend an angioplasty and stenting procedure to open a clogged artery, keep it open and allow the blood to flow more freely.

 

Stents —small expandable mesh tubes used to treat 500,000 Americans with CAD annually –– have recently undergone a critical upgrade. Just this past October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first and only stent with a bioabsorbable polymer. The drug coating and the polymer –– which holds the drug to the stent –– are fully absorbed by the body after delivering the drug to the artery. It is designed to enable more rapid healing, thereby reducing the risk of complications associated with long-term polymer exposure.

Coronary Artery Disease

Dr. Alpesh Shah of Houston Methodist Hospital Systems joined me to share key questions people should be asking their doctor during the winter months. He also how people with coronary artery disease may be able to help prevent a heart attack, as well as tips for heart health.

 

Take a look at the interview below.

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For more information, visit: bostonscientific.com/synergy-us.

Coronary Artery Disease

Make Sure Your Heart Is Ready for Winter

Meet Our Guest:

 

Alpesh R. Shah, MD is a practicing Cardiologist (Heart Specialist) in Lake Jackson, TX. Dr. Shah graduated from Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine in 1992 and has been in practice for 18 years. He completed a residency at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Shah also specializes in Internal Medicine. He currently practices at Brazosport Cardiology and is affiliated with Brazosport Regional Health Systems, Houston Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center. Dr. Shah accepts multiple insurance plans including Great West, Cigna and Multiplan. Dr. Shah is board certified in Internal Medicine.

Coronary Artery Disease