Category Archives: Heart

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Like a River: Heart Murmurs in Children

Damien Kenny, MD, pediatric cardiologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.By Damien Kenny, MD

Some of the simplest things we are asked to do often prove to be the hardest. Finding a good analogy for an “innocent” murmur to contextualize for parents is a challenge. A heart murmur is simply an extra heart sound, and at least 30 percent of children will have a murmur at some stage during their childhood. Less than 1 percent of children will actually have something wrong with their heart. However, the word still strikes fear in parent’s minds.

Often good clinical examination is enough to root out the worrisome murmurs from the “innocent” ones, but further testing with an ultrasound of the heart, termed an echocardiogram, can offer further reassurance to patients and their family.

So when I see children and their families and break the good news that thankfully their heart is normal, as it is in the majority of cases, sometimes I am posed with the very natural question of, “Well, what is causing the murmur then?” Most often it is due to rapid blood flow through a growing heart making a “whoosh-like” sound as the blood is pumped across heart valves into the lungs or out into the body.

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Stress Poses Heart Health Dangers For Women

Melissa Tracy, MD, cardiologist at Rush University Medical Center in ChicagoBy Melissa Tracy, MD

Women tend to not only take on their own stress, but also that of their families. This compounds the potential health hazards that include both psychological and physical issues.

Women tend to use food to suppress the impact of stress, resulting in increased weight and decreased exercise. When our weight increases and we have decreased exercise tolerance, the health-related heart risk factors can develop or worsen: Our blood pressure increases, cholesterol increases and the risk of developing diabetes increases.

Obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are the leading risk factors for developing heart and cerebral vascular disease, such as a heart attack and stroke. Women of all ages are at risk, even those who still have not undergone menopause. If a woman is postmenopausal, then her risk is greater.

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Facing Open Heart Surgery with Confidence

Craig_FalkenthalBy Craig Falkenthal

Knowing my family history with heart disease allowed me to take control of my health. At my annual physical two years ago, I told my doctor about my 81-year-old mother’s recent aortic valve replacement. I explained that she had a congenital aortic bicuspid valve, and I have aunts and uncles who had mitral valve prolapse issues. I already knew I had a heart murmur, but my doctor suggested that I see a cardiologist to rule out any additional issues, given my family history.

I am an extremely healthy guy with a lot of energy. I had worked for the same employer for 23 years and never took a sick day. So I wasn’t too worried about getting checked out.

However, an echocardiogram showed that I had a congenital bicuspid aortic valve, just like my mother. It was a complete shock, especially because I felt terrific. My local cardiologist said that mine had progressed into aortic stenosis, where my aortic valve was not fully opening and was decreasing blood flow from my heart. She told me that open heart surgery was a matter of when not if.

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Helping Older Adults Live Longer, Stay Independent

Snell_R_JeffreyBy Jeffrey Snell, MD

Many patients leave a lasting impression on me, but there are two patients in particular who really inspire me. It’s a husband and wife: He’s 91 years old, and she’s 89.

Even though they’re at an age when a lot of people are unable to live independently, they’re still living at home. They basically take care of themselves. They’re still mentally sound, and even though they need walkers, they’re able to get out and get around. They go grocery shopping together. She still cooks dinner every night, and he does the dishes.

It’s something you don’t see very often. Thanks to modern medicine, people are living longer, but a great many of my older patients are in nursing homes or are dependent on their children because their age or illnesses have left them unable to fully care for themselves.

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From the Archives: First Electrocardiograph, 1913

Electrocardiograph1913

Chicago’s first electrocardiograph was installed 100 years ago at Presbyterian Hospital, which later became part of Rush University Medical Center.

Renowned heart specialist and Rush Medical College graduate James B. Herrick, MD, was instrumental in securing the equipment through a gift from Mrs. Cyrus McCormick, Sr., a noted Chicago philanthropist.

She also helped the hospital acquire an improved model in 1915 and provided substantial funding for research in heart disease.

According to the 1939 issue of the Presbyterian Hospital Bulletin, “It was with the aid of these instruments that Dr. Herrick made his first notable discoveries about coronary thrombosis and started on the trail which has brought fame to himself and immeasurable benefit to humanity.”

Electrocardiography measures the heart’s electrical activity and helps detect abnormalities.