• Treatment and Prevention

    Access to Care

    Some of the patients who are most in need of cardiovascular screening and treatment have the greatest difficulty accessing quality care. Healthcare professionals are working to identify and resolve access issues based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

    ACE Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

    ACE inhibitors and Angiotensin-2 Receptor Blockers (ARB) are used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and congestive heart failure.

    Acid Protection – Zantac (Ranitidine Hydrochloride), Axid (Nizatidine), Prilosec (Omeprazole), Tagamet (Cimetidine), Protonix

    Acid Protection – Zantac (Ranitidine Hydrochloride), Axid (Nizatidine), Prilosec (Omeprazole), Tagamet (Cimetidine), Protonix

    Additional Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Treatment Options

    Additional treatment options that your doctor may discuss with you may include these.

    Additional Resources on Clinical Trials

    Additional Resources on Clinical Trials

  • Tests and Diagnostics

    After the Angiogram

    If the angiogram shows serious blockages, the interventional cardiologist may immediately perform a coronary intervention procedure, such as balloon angioplasty and stenting, to open them and restore blood flow to your heart. Or he or she may refer you for bypass surgery, a surgical method for restoring blood flow.

    Angiogram

    An angiogram is a diagnostic procedure that provides detailed, x-ray pictures of your heart and its blood vessels. It is performed by a specially trained cardiologist, called an interventional cardiologist.

    Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)

    A simple test, called the ankle-brachial index, or ABI, can quickly and painlessly determine if you likely have peripheral artery disease (PAD), which means blockages in the blood vessels leading to your legs. PAD, also referred to as peripheral vascular disease (PVD), can cause discomfort or weakness while walking and, if severe and left untreated, can potentially lead to amputation of the leg or foot.

    At-Home Tests

    Have you ever made an appointment with your physician only to find that once you are in the office the problem you’ve been having has gone away? Sometimes a “snapshot” of your heart’s health at the moment you are in the office or hospital is not enough to demonstrate your symptoms. Your cardiologist may need information about how your heart is performing over time to make a diagnosis.

    At-Home Tests

    Have you ever made an appointment with your physician only to find that once you are in the office the problem you’ve been having has gone away? Sometimes a “snapshot” of your heart’s health at the moment you are in the office or hospital is not enough to demonstrate your symptoms. Your cardiologist may need information about how your heart is performing over time to make a diagnosis.

  • A Life Is Saved by Fast-thinking Teamwork and Technology

    On the morning of December 1, 2005, 69-year-old retired Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission employee Frank Marshall was out bowling with friends. Before the game was over, he was being rushed to Washington Adventist Hospital’s Emergency Room in Takoma Park, Maryland.

    Anna Grace Bundros - Thriving After Successful Treatment of Congenital Heart Defect

    In 2000, Anna Grace Bundros was a healthy newborn who met every developmental milestone over the next six years. But the active, vibrant little girl was small for her age and often a little lethargic, lacking the energy to play for hours like other kids her age. A series of tests revealed Anna Grace had a hole in her heart known as an atrial septal defect. Her parents weighed the pros and cons of two treatments and chose the less invasive option. After successful treatment, Anna Grace is thriving and back playing like other girls her age. Read her family’s story.

    Betty - Achieving a High Quality of Life at Any Age

    Betty didn’t realize the full extent of her heart disease symptoms, or how they were impacting her life, until after she was treated. Like many people with stable angina, she had curtailed her participation in activities she loved – like gardening and golfing – in order to avoid the uncomfortable symptoms that plagued her when she did them. To learn what led her to treatment, and how much she’s enjoying life now, read her story.

    Brandy Albracht - Minimally Invasive Procedure Reduces Migraines and Restores Quality of Life

    When Brandy’s migraine headaches began having an increasingly negative effect on her quality of life, she sought help from a cardiologist. She had heard about a possible connection between migraines and a congenital heart defect often referred to as a “hole in the heart.” When her cardiologist found an atrial septal defect, he recommended a minimally invasive procedure to close the hole. His focus was on preventing a stroke, but in Brandy’s case the procedure also helped to dramatically reduce the frequency of her migraines. Read Brandy’s story.

    Christian Banks - Minimally Invasive Valve Procedures Get Teenager Back in Action

    Christian was born with complex congenital heart disease and underwent numerous procedures throughout his young life, including a series of reconstructive heart surgeries that began when he was just three days old. At age 12, after his energy level dropped and doctors discovered his pulmonary valve had begun to calcify, he underwent a Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement, which returned him to the active life he and his family enjoy. Read his story.