Watch out for hypertension

Is it time for a blood pressure check?

It only takes a few minutes and it could save your life. Unfortunately, it’s something many Americans tend to ignore.

That’s not a good idea. Doctors tell us that the majority of their patients with high blood pressure, or hypertension, were walking around with it for a while and didn’t know they had it.

Bradycardia: Controlling a slow heart rate

Irregular heart rhythm. It’s a common cardiac condition, but most people with this problem experience a heart beating too fast. A less common type of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) is known as bradycardia. This condition happens when the heart rate is too slow. Bradycardia is a heart rate of less than 60 beats per minute. It can be caused by various problems, including problems with the heart's sinus node, which acts as a kind of natural pacemaker.

It may also be caused by problems in the conduction pathways of the heart. This means that electrical impulses are not being conducted from the atria to the ventricles, so the heart’s regular rhythm is disrupted. Other causes include metabolic problems such as hypothermia, or damage from a heart attack or heart disease.

Is it a heart attack?

Warning signs vary for men and women

It doesn’t always happen like you may think. A heart attack can sneak up without the classic symptoms.

While people often expect pain in the left arm or crushing tightness in the chest, there are other warning signs that something may be wrong.

Considering weight loss surgery?

For anyone considering weight loss surgery, education is an important first step. McLaren Macomb’s Bariatric Surgery Institute offers free seminars about surgical weight loss options. Board-certified bariatric surgeon Dr. Carl Pesta will provide information and answer questions regarding bariatric surgery and life after surgery.

Do you know about atrial fibrillation?

That strange, fluttery feeling in your chest could be serious.

It could be atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a type of abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that causes the heart to pump blood ineffectively. A-fib is the most common type of persistent heart arrhythmia and it affects almost 5 million Americans.