MILLCREEK/Salt Lake City, Utah – Since September is National Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Awareness Month, FOX13 is focusing on the heart condition and making sure you know everything you need to in order to keep your family healthy.
Dr. John D. Day, a cardiologist at the Heart Center at St. Mark’s Hospital and the physician head over cardiovascular services for all of MountainStar Healthcare, joined FOX13’s The PLACE on Friday to discuss how best patients and their loved ones should respond to a possible AFib diagnosis.
“One in four Americans will get it,” Dr. Day explained. “The good news is that it can be treated and even completely eliminated in many patients.”
Dr. Day says early treatment is critical because the longer AFib goes on, the more difficult it is to treat.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. An irregular heart rhythm is called an arrhythmia. AFib can lead to blood clots in the heart. The condition also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.”
To continue, “During atrial fibrillation, the heart's upper chambers — called the atria — beat chaotically and irregularly. They beat out of sync with the lower heart chambers, called the ventricles. For many people, AFib may have no symptoms. But AFib may cause a fast, pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath or light-headedness.”
Risk Factors
Things that can increase the risk of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) include:
· Age.
· Caffeine, nicotine or illegal drug use.
· Drinking too much alcohol.
· Changes in the level of body minerals.
· Family history.
· Heart problems or heart surgery.
· High blood pressure.
· Obesity.
· Other long-term health conditions.
· Some medicines and supplements.
· Thyroid disease.
Cardiovascular Services
The Heart Center at St. Mark’s offers a variety of services for people with heart conditions, including:
· Convergent ablation
o The center’s specialists are the first in Utah to work together to use convergent ablation as an option for people with the type of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, that is the most difficult to treat.
o These heart specialists are among only a limited number nationwide who are combining their expertise to offer one of the most advanced AFib treatments available today. Their team approach is improving the lives of patients with the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia who have not responded well to catheter ablations and other treatments.
· Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
o The cardiovascular care team is now performing a lifesaving procedure for patients with aortic valve stenosis who can't have traditional open-heart surgery. This advanced TAVR procedure is performed in only a very small number of hospitals in the U.S. In fact, at last report, St. Mark’s Hospital is proud to be one of only three locations in Utah offering this option.
· Ambulatory monitoring
· Angioplasty
· Arrhythmia treatments
· Atherosclerosis atherectomy
· Atherosclerosis endarterectomy
· Biventricular pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD-Bi-V) device therapy for patients with heart failure
· Cardiac catheterization
· Cardiac closure devices for patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD)
· Cardioverter defibrillator
· Cardiac devices
· Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
· Cardioversions
· Carotid stenting
· Catheter ablation
· Coronary calcium scan
· Coumadin clinic
· Dobutamine echocardiogram
· Echocardiogram with and without contrast
· Electrophysiology study
· Exercise stress test
· Hybrid ablation
· Left atrial appendage closure
· Lead extraction
· Lipid management (cholesterol)
· Mitral valve regurgitation clip
· Non-invasive testing for vascular disease
· Nuclear stress test
· Pacemaker implants
· Pericardiocentesis
· Pharmacological nuclear stress test
· Research studies
· Stress echocardiogram
· Transesophageal echocardiography
The Heart Center at St. Mark's cares for patients who have heart diseases and other problematic issues or conditions. The center’s highly trained team of cardiologists are experts in treating many cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias. The center provides this care as an accredited Chest Pain Center.
The Heart Center at St. Mark's offers cardiovascular consults within 24 hours. For immediate access for appointments and provider questions, call (801) 288-4400.
About Dr. John D. Day
Dr. John Day graduated from medical school at Johns Hopkins University. He did his residency in internal medicine, cardiology, and cardiac electrophysiology fellowship training at Stanford University. Dr. Day is board certified in cardiology and cardiac electrophysiology.
Dr. Day previously served as president of the Heart Rhythm Society and was the past president of the Utah chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He is recognized as an international thought leader, regularly speaking at Atrial Fibrillation medical conferences around the world about the latest developments in the treatment of AFib.
Dr. Day currently serves as the physician executive of cardiovascular services for MountainStar Healthcare (HCA Healthcare’s Mountain Division). He has a large clinical practice focusing on Atrial Fibrillation at St. Mark's Hospital. Dr. Day warmly welcomes new Atrial Fibrillation patients into his practice.
The Heart Center at St. Mark’s Hospital
1160 East 3900 South Suite 2000
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
For more information, visit StMarksHeart.com or call (801) 266-3418.
