Director of the cardiac CT program at Oklahoma Heart Institute Dr. Victor Cheng joins us on the blog today to talk about the program and when patients should be referred for a scan.  Cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is special CT scan that images the entire heart when heart structures are relatively still. A steady heart rate of less than…

New recommendations were announced Tuesday by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. They say an estimated 31 percent of Americans could benefit from the use of statin drugs. That figure is more than double the current percentage (15 percent) of Americans taking these medications to lower their cholesterol. The recommendation, which is based on…

Today we are taking you inside the heart catheritization lab at Oklahoma Heart Institute for a balloon valvuloplasty procedure to determine valve sizing prior to TAVR.

A revolutionary procedure for heart patients is celebrating one-and-a-half years of getting Oklahomans back on their feet. The procedure is for patients who are too sick for open heart surgery but facing long odds of survival. One Tulsa man says the procedure is almost too good to be true. “I tell you, it’s hard to…

The Oklahoma Heart Research and Education Foundation recently held their bi-annual symposium in Tulsa, OK. Health care providers from across the region listened to presentations from several Oklahoma Heart Institute cardiologist on a variety of topics. One particular moment received spontaneous laughter from the audience, as Dr. Eugene Ichinose pulled a chair onto the stage,…

There is a new term making its way around the Internet – “Sitting is the new smoking.” If it sounds shocking, it’s meant to, as researchers are taking a long, hard look at how we spend our time and what impact that is having on our health. Just as smoking a little is still smoking,…

Cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. David Sandler joins us today on the blog to talk about heart monitors for arrhythmia patients.  Patients who experience symptoms such as palpitation or fainting spells are often prescribed monitors in order to catch a potential heart rhythm abnormality. Choosing the proper monitor requires the provider to take a thorough history and have knowledge…

Oklahoma Heart cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. David Sandler talks about how different the treatment can vary for AFib patients and why individualization is key to successful outcomes. Patients are often surprised that the recommendations we make differ from those offered to a friend with atrial fibrillation (AFib).  The explanation is that there are numerous treatment options that are…

Saturday, September 14 cities across the country celebrated World AFib Awareness Day to shed light on the prevalence of AFib around the world and the impact the most common heart arrhythmia diagnosed has on patients and quality of life. Oklahoma Heart Institute hosted as AFib and Yoga event in honor of this day. Dr. David…