His boots were enormous, and caked with the dirt of his work. His clothes, brought up by an ER tech in a clear plastic bag, included a construction helmet and vest. Crushing chest pain and shortness of breath had bought him this sunny day off of work and a direct ticket to the cardiac catheterization lab at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. (more…)
Guest post by Francesco Santoni-Rugiu, MD, Director, Outpatient Services, Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s
Syncope is a sudden, unexplained loss of consciousness; most commonly referred to as a fainting spell. A syncopal episode implies that the fainting was sudden and there was an immediate return to feeling normal. Patients typically describe the episode by saying “I was fine and then I must have passed out, because I found myself on the floor; I got up and I was ok.” This type of fainting episode is different from one where you get progressively weaker prior to passing out. These episodes are more likely due to intoxication, or low blood sugar. Also, a different type of loss of consciousness is the one associated with seizures, or a concussion when the patient recovers consciousness but does not feel back to normal but rather groggy, confused. (more…)
Guest post by Stephan Danik, MD, MSc, Director of the Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt
When 61-year-old Franklin had his hip replaced three years ago, routine pre-operative work revealed that he had a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation (or AFib). Because he never had chest pain and never felt his heart beating irregularly, Franklin didn’t know anything was wrong. But fatigue and having low energy are two of the most common symptoms of AFib that people ignore. (more…)
Guest post by Conor D. Barrett, MD, Director of the Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt.
A human heart beats 80 times per minute, on average — that can be more than 100,000 beats per day. And it all happens quietly and in a way you wouldn’t notice if your heart rhythm is normal. “Anytime someone has an awareness of their heart beating irregularly or is aware of extra beats or skipped beats — particularly if they feel their heart racing or beating very fast — it’s not normal,” says Dr. Conor D. Barrett, Cardiac Electrophysiologist and Director of the Al-Sabah Arrhythmia Institute at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt. Basically, awareness of an irregular heartbeat could signal a heart rhythm disorder. (more…)
Fall marks the start of school athletic programs and recreational sports leagues. You may occasionally have heard on the news about a student’s suffering a heart attack or passing out during athletic activity. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence. Most important is to know that many times, these events can be prevented. (more…)
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received a $3.8 million grant from the American Heart Association (AHA) to promote cardiovascular health through early education and intervention programs targeting high-risk children and their parents in Harlem and the Bronx.
Mount Sinai researchers will study the genes and lifestyles of 600 preschoolers and their parents or guardians who live in these communities, which are associated with high rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The investigators will track whether the interventions lead to healthier eating habits and additional exercise. They will also examine the participants’ DNA and RNA to understand how genetics plays a role in the development of cardiovascular disease.