The Patient A 52-year-old male with a long-standing history of poorly controlled high blood pressure despite adherence to a four-drug antihypertensive regimen (including a calcium channel blocker, ACE inhibitor, thiazide diuretic and beta-blocker). The patient reported persistent systolic blood pressures in the range of 170–190 mmHg, confirmed by ambulatory monitoring. He had no evidence of…
The patient A 48-year-old male with a past medical history significant for malignant thymoma status post thymectomy and right lower lobe lobectomy, and myasthenia gravis, presented to Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital emergency department with dyspnea on exertion (DOE). His CT was concerning for possible pulmonary embolism. His labs on this admission showed B-type natriuretic…
Norton Healthcare has received American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital. Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of…
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and UK HealthCare Gill Heart & Vascular Institute joined forces to present a timely and insightful continuing medical education session. “Advancing Heart Failure Care: Innovation Meets Equity” featured Kelly C. McCants, M.D., executive medical director of the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Advanced Heart Failure & Recovery Program, and Emma…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Cardiac centers around the world are accepting patients for a clinical trial for patients undergoing cardiac surgery that may have risk factors for atrial fibrillation (A-fib) and ischemic stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women. Approximately 1 in 4 women will develop atrial fibrillation (AF), and women with AF are at greater risk for stroke than men who have it. Megan E. Gruber, D.O., brings her expertise in electrophysiology and cardiovascular care to the…
The electrophysiology team at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute has implanted the city’s first dual chamber leadless pacemaker. What makes this device unique is its size, absence of leads that connect the device to a controller and ability to implant it with a minimally invasive procedure. The Aveir DR consists of two leadless pacemakers that are implanted into the…
Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common arrhythmia in adults — more than 8 million Americans have some classification of A-fib. Of those, researchers estimate about 70% have either persistent A-fib or long-standing persistent A-fib. “A-fib is a serious and growing problem in this country, with over a million cases diagnosed annually,” said Kent E….
Heart failure centers are accepting patients for a clinical trial of a minimally invasive therapy for heart patients with reduced ejection fraction. Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is the only site in Kentucky or Indiana participating in the CORCINCH-HF study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the AccuCinch Ventricular Restoration System. The implanted device…
Diagnosing chest pain symptoms is a common occurrence in the primary care setting. Approximately 1% of all visits to primary care are related to chest pain, but rarely are these visits due to an acute coronary syndrome, according to Arpit Agrawal, M.D., cardiologist with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. Acute chest pain often needs to be…
Patients who have been pregnant and especially those who had complicated pregnancies are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, but the condition typically arises 10 or 15 years after the pregnancy. Patients are screened months after their pregnancy for cardiovascular disease, but as the patient ages, pregnancy is a very important part of their medical…
A heavyset, 51-year-old truck driver with a history of hypertension presented at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute with four months of intermittent, sharp, substernal chest pain that was exacerbated by activity and becoming increasingly frequent. Should he be evaluated with anatomic or functional testing? Updated clinical practice guidelines offer guidance on whether to choose coronary…