Desta and I had the pleasure of participating in a heart screening day at Sequoia High School in Redwood City last Sunday.

Volunteers obtaining 12-lead ECG’s

The event was organized by Via Heart Project, a non-profit organization that equips California public schools with AED’s.   Via Heart recently decided to organize heart screenings, and they put a lot of effort and talent into this first event.

They were assisted by the folks at the EP Save-a-Life Foundation, who have been organizing heart screens in the San Diego area for several years and who provided some of the equipment we used, such as the cardiac ultrasound machines.  In total, 203 volunteers helped out, not including the Redwood City Fire Department.Read more

UPDATE (07/06/2015):  THIS MOVIE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX

Anyone out there concerned about heart disease in yourself or a loved one?

Do me a favor and watch The Widowmaker.  This is the best piece of medical investigative journalism I have ever watched.  It will make you understand what is wrong with heart disease prevention in our broken health care system.

The movie also has great drama, both in the personal testimonies of ordinary folks who have lost a loved one to heart disease, and in the depiction of the political power plays at the highest levels of the cardiology community.

The trailer is below, but it doesn’t begin to give justice to the richness of the movie.  To see the film, click on this link.  You can download it as a rental for $4.99 or buy it for $9.99.  You won’t regret it and I agree with their tag line:  IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.Read more

For most people, the cardiac stress test is the epitome of modern cardiology.  For some, the thought of undergoing one may also cause cold sweats…Perhaps a little introduction can help clarify what it is and what it does, and will minimize any misplaced fear about this helpful diagnostic tool.Read more

Image attribution: Julian Mason/Flickr.

Professional athletic trainer and sports journalist Ian MacMahan asked us that question as part of an article he published in The Atlantic Monthly magazine.

McMahan reported on recent research that raises concerns about ultra-endurance sports carried to an extreme level for many years.  Such an exercise regimen increases one’s chance of having arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, and may also cause scarring in the ventricle of the heart.

Some cardiologists have sounded alarm bells, comparing such exercise regimens to a “toxin.”  In my opinion, it is not yet clear if long-term, high-intensity exercise alone is the cause of the problem, or if those affected have other factors that come into play.  Nevertheless, the research should not be dismissed.   Here are some highlights:Read more

We are delighted to have been featured in a San Francisco Chronicle article which highlights the rising interest in cardiac screening among athletes.  I was correctly identified as being among the growing number of cardiologists who believe that current screening tools are excellent and underutilized.

The article covered the subject of screening in general, so I would like to offer some additional information for clarification. Read more