February is American Heart Month. Protecting our hearts is a lifelong commitment, and cardiovascular health remains a top priority in public health. While heart disease remains the leading cause of death in America, it can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle! Internal Medicine Physician, Dr. Paul Salama, MD, MPH, steps in with insight on some ways to prevent heart disease.

"Most patients don't realize that reducing hypertension, or high blood pressure, can also prevent heart disease. Simple lifestyle changes like eating healthy, exercising regularly, and losing weight can improve not just your heart, but your overall quality of life," says Dr. Salama from an internal medicine standpoint.

Take this month as an opportunity to focus on your cardiovascular health. Learn more about potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease, maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, and educate yourself on different heart diseases.

Here are a few ways you can participate in Heart Month: 

• Stay up-to-date on heart screenings, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI) 

• Encourage your local representatives to be transparent about coronary heart disease statistics in your state 

• Join the #OurHearts movement on your social media platforms 

The post Heart Health Awareness appeared first on UCR Health.

Listening to the beat of your heart

Your heart beats approximately 100,000 times a day and 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times. It does more physical work than any other muscle, pumping 2,000 gallons of blood through your body every day.

It beats faster when we exercise, when we’re scared, and when we’re in love. Is that how the heart came to be associated with love? 

The heart and love

The ancient Greeks wrote poetry identifying the heart with love and Greek philosophers linked the heart with our strongest emotions including love but also fear, anger, and even pain. Venus, the Goddess of love, was known to set hearts on fire with the help of Cupid, her son, who aimed his darts at the human heart. The Romans even believed there was a vein extending from the fourth finger of the left hand directly to the heart. That finger is, of course, the finger upon which we wear our wedding rings. 

In fact, your heart may beat faster when you’re in love because of hormones: 

• Adrenaline
• Epinephrine
• Norepinephrine

These hormones flow through the blood, causing your heart to beat faster and stronger. That wonderful feeling of being in love is reason enough to keep your heart healthy. 

Keep your heart healthy

The American Heart Association has designated February as National Heart Month.

At UCR Health, we dedicate every month to taking care of your heart, with preventive care as well as advanced treatments should you develop heart disease. Preventing heart disease starts with these five steps to dramatically reduce your risks. 

1. Maintain a healthy weight and a healthy body-mass index of under 25

2. Eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and chicken while avoiding added sugars and sodium

3. Exercise with a 30-minute brisk walk five days a week

4. Get better sleep by reducing screen time before bed

5. Don’t smoke

If you’re at risk for developing heart disease, you can follow the steps above as well as visit a doctor on a regular basis to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels. Should you be diagnosed with heart disease, your UCR Health doctor can prescribe medications to lower your numbers. 

Embrace the beat of your heart at UCR Health

Staying healthy and taking care of your heart is important 365 days a year and perhaps more so during heart awareness month. Do it for the ones you love. Do it for yourself. And listen to the beat of your heart. If you keep it healthy, it can continue playing the music you love to hear for a long time. 

To speak with a UCR Health physician, please visit https://www.ucrhealth.org/make-an-appointment/ or give us a call at 1-844-827-8000.

About UCR Health

UCR Health is comprised of a team of physicians, specialists, and healthcare professionals dedicated to improving people’s health. With five medical offices located throughout the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley, UCR Health is growing to meet the healthcare needs of the region, bringing innovative, culturally sensitive medical care to the community. Established alongside the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, UCR Health’s patient-centered primary care and specialty services deliver university-based healthcare excellence and innovation to all communities.

The post American Heart Month appeared first on UCR Health.

Heart Disease in Women

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, and Adult Congenital Heart Diseases and Cardiac Computed Tomography, Dr. Padmini Varadarajan has seen the ins and outs of heart disease in patients of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. However, Dr. Varadarajan shares that “cardiovascular disease is especially prevalent amongst women, causing 1 in every 3 female deaths per year.” 

Women have smaller arteries than men making them more susceptible to heart conditions. Additionally, despite being more susceptible, the symptoms of heart disease seem to differ amongst women and men. Dr. Varadarajan notes that “women present with atypical symptoms. For example, they may not have chest pain like pressure in the chest but instead only have a shortness of breath.” Other symptoms of heart disease  women may experience include indigestion, anxiety-like symptoms, back pain, or unusual fatigue.

As many of these symptoms trickle away from the obvious signs of heart disease, it becomes difficult for women to catch the problem early on. With this, Dr. Varadarajan emphasizes that “[it] is important for both patients and physicians to recognize these atypical symptoms of coronary artery disease, so that early diagnosis is made, and appropriate management is given.” 

Heart Health and Prevention

Specializing in Electrophysiology, Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Dr. Anna Sarcon adds on to the spirit of American Heart Month with some preventative tips that all people at risk for heart disease should consider: 

1. Try to cut out caffeine and alcohol - “One glass of wine here and there is ok but try to avoid alcohol, caffeine and energy drinks as much as possible.” 
2. Exercise is Key - “It has been shown that people who exercise, do yoga or even own pets that they have to walk and take care of have a lower blood pressure and are at lower risk for heart disease.” 
3. Take time to relax and destress - “Both physical and mental stress can have an effect on heart disease” 

“Ultimately, it is up to a person’s willingness to change and improve their life,” Dr. Sarcon says. The biggest risk factors for heart disease include diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and excessive alcohol intake. Approximately 40% of the risk for heart diseases is due to genetic factors, leaving the other 60% due to environmental and lifestyle choices. 

Take the time this month to think about your heart health and how you can make better choices to prevent heart disease. The quickest way to see if your heart is working properly is to check your blood pressure. If you are experiencing consistent high blood pressure, constituted by a systolic pressure >120 and diastolic pressure >80, you may want to contact your primary care physician for further testing. To schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with a UCR Health physician, click here or give us a call at 1-844-827-8000.

About UCR Health

UCR Health is comprised of a team of physicians, specialists and healthcare professionals dedicated to improving people’s health. With five medical offices located throughout Inland Empire and Coachella Valley, UCR Health is growing to meet the healthcare needs of the region, bringing innovative, culturally sensitive medical care to the community. Established alongside the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, UCR Health’s patient-centered primary care and specialty services deliver university-based healthcare excellence and innovation to all communities.

The post American Heart Month appeared first on UCR Health.

Dr. Sarcon is board-certified in Internal Medicine and a member of Heart Rhythm Society and American College of Cardiology. She brings unique life experiences and passion for advancing science and inspiring the future generation in medicine. She is also excited to bring much needed services in Cardiology, particularly in Electrophysiology to Riverside County and its community. In addition, she is fluent in English and Spanish.

“Imagine yourself in the patient’s shoes,” Dr. Sarcon said when she was asked what her patient philosophy is. She added, "I have worked and lived in many places, internationally and within the United States. I appreciate diverse cultures and backgrounds. My education has allowed me to relocate and learn not only about medicine, but people in places I have lived in." Outside of medicine, she enjoys traveling and horseback riding.

Contact us at 1-844-827-8000 or click here to schedule an appointment today!

About UCR Health

UCR Health is comprised of a team of physicians, specialists and healthcare professionals dedicated to improving people’s health. With five medical offices located throughout Inland Empire and Coachella Valley, UCR Health is growing to meet the healthcare needs of the region, bringing innovative, culturally sensitive medical care to the community. Established alongside the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, UCR Health’s patient-centered primary care and specialty services deliver university-based healthcare excellence and innovation to all communities.

The post [Staff Highlight] Anna Sarcon, MD, FACC appeared first on UCR Health.

Take this month as an opportunity to focus on your cardiovascular health. Learn more about potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease, maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, and educate yourself on the difference between different cardiovascular and heart diseases. Here are a few ways you can participate in Heart Month:

• Wear red on the first Friday of February
• Stay up-to-date on heart screenings, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Encourage your local representatives to be transparent about coronary heart disease statistics in your state
• Join the #OurHearts movement on your social media platforms

The post American Heart Month appeared first on UCR Health.

What can you do to improve your health this month? 

Be physically active.  

Eat healthier. 

Track your heart health stats.  

Manage stress, sleep better, and quit smoking.  

Make a difference during this month for your loved ones and your community by spreading the word about heart disease risk factors and by modeling a heart-healthy lifestyle. Encourage those around you to know their family history and have their hearts checked by a health professional. Together we can save lives not just in February, but all the time.  

For more information on Heart Health Month and what you can do to raise awareness, check out the American Heart Association’s website at https://www.heart.org/  
 
To make an appointment with Dr. Padmini Varadarjan, click here! 

The post It’s Heart Health Month! appeared first on UCR Health.

• Coronary artery disease 

• Cardiomyopathies 
• Valvular heart disease 
• Infiltrative disorders (amyloid, sarcoid) 
• Cardio-oncology 
• Cardio-rheumatology 

• Cardio-obstetrics 
• Arrhythmias 
• Aortopathies (Marfan, Ehler’s Danlos, Loey’s Dietz, Bicuspid aortic valve, etc.) 
• Adult Congenital heart diseases 
• Preoperative evaluation 

• HTN 
• Lipid disorders 

Cardiological testing services offered by the CT clinic include ECG, ziopatch (14-day Holter), treadmill stress test, and an exercise stress echo - performed and interpreted by Dr. Varadarajan. The clinic has also set up a very sophisticated Echocardiogram with the implementation of cutting-edge technology including strain, a 3D heart model ejection fraction, and 3D evaluation of valves. There is a plan to expand to a second clinic day on Monday afternoons from July 2021 in hopes to accommodate even more patients.  

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