Recognized By Us News & World Report
UT Southwestern Medical Center has earned High Performing recognition for aortic valve surgery from U.S. News & World Report, placing us among the countrys leading hospitals for this procedure.
With UT Southwestern Medical Centers minimally invasive techniques to fix heart valve disease, youll recover more quickly and feel better faster.
We offer a variety of approaches to treat heart valve disorders, with a focus on minimally invasive surgery.
Four valves in the heart control blood flow. These valves make sure that blood flows in the right direction through the heart by opening and closing at the right time. When theres a problem with a valve, theres a heart valve disorder.
Heart valve disorders make the heart work harder. As a result patients may feel tired or short of breath. UT Southwesterns heart experts are focused on fixing heart valve disorders so patients feel better and have more energy.
Valve disease treatment has improved dramatically over the past 15 years, from being able to replace faulty valves with prosthetics to today, where we are now able to surgically repair the valves without cracking the chest .
Through minimally invasive surgery, we need to make only a 2-inch incision to repair or replace a valve, and the recovery time is reduced to 10 days versus six weeks for traditional open surgery. Weve performed more of these procedures than others in North Texas, and UT Southwestern is leading the advancement of additional new treatments.
Diseases That Have Fatigue As The Main Symptom
When your immune system is grappling with a disease, that fight requires energy. So itâs probably not surprising that almost any disease you can name has fatigue listed among its symptoms.
âFatigue may be the most common symptom people report, and in and of itself it canât point you toward a diagnosis,â says Roxanne Sukol, MD, a preventive medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic.
Also complicating matters: âThere are so many different ways to measure fatigue,â says Anne Cappola, MD, of the University of Pennsylvaniaâs Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. âDoes it mean youâre sleeping more? Or canât exercise as long as you used to? Or donât have energy at the end of the day?â
Fatigue comes in different flavors. âThereâs physical fatigue, but also emotional fatigue and psychological fatigue,â she says. âPeople underestimate the effects of psychological stress on energy levels, but in retrospect, after that stress is gone, they realize that was making them so tired.â
Whenever a patient sees Cappola for fatigue, she says she talks with them about reasonable expectations. âOur society builds this belief that you should be on the run all the time, but thatâs not sustainable for many of us,â she says. âIf your scheduleâs changed or you havenât been sleeping enough or something else is going on, feeling tired is natural.â
What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This serious, long-term condition involves a lot more than just tiredness. People with CFS can also experience loss of memory/concentration, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or armpits, headaches, and more. Some heart-related abnormalities can indicate that you have CFS in fact, many with CFS have an unusually high heart rate and low blood pressure after standing for a while, but this may be more due to altered automatic nerve reflexes.
To be clear, CFS does not cause a heart attack. The symptom of fatigue may indicate heart artery disease, but it can also be a factor in other conditions, such as sleep disorders or thyroid problems. Thats why its best to see your provider before you panic and assume the worst.
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Cardiac Abnormalities Linked To Me/cfs
Chronic fatigue syndrome involves a lot more than fatigue. In addition to a few dozen possible symptoms, this disease is also linked to certain heart abnormalities. Does that mean you have to worry about developing heart disease? Not necessarily. However, you should watch out for signs of heart disease and do what you can to lower your risk.
The incident rate of heart disease is higher in people with ME/CFS than in the general population, and the association may be more than incidental.
Fatigue Is Associated With Diminished Cardiovascular Response To Anticipatory Stress In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
- 1Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Palanga, Lithuania
- 2School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
- 3Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
Background: Fatigue and psychophysiological reactions to mental stress are known to be problematic in coronary artery disease patients. Currently, studies exploring the relationship between fatigue and cardiovascular reactivity to stress are scarce and inconsistent. The current study aimed to investigate the links between cardiovascular response to mental stress and fatigue in CAD patients after acute coronary syndrome .
Methods: The cross-sectional study investigated 142 CAD patients within 23 weeks after recent myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris. Fatigue symptoms were measured using Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory 20-items, while cardiovascular reactivity to stress was evaluated during Trier Social Stress Test . In addition, participants completed psychometric measures, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and the Type D Scale-14. Multivariable linear regression analyses were completed to evaluate associations between fatigue and cardiovascular response to TSST, while controlling for confounders.
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When Should I See A Doctor
Its important not to ignore symptoms and wait until they become severe. If you have a concern, talk to your doctor. If heart disease is caught early, there are many lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of further problems: eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, get regular exercise , maintain a healthy weight, drink alcohol in moderation , and dont smoke.
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What The Research Tells Us
Cardiac anomalies could partially explain why a small amount of exertion can wipe out someone with ME/CFS.
While the studies suggest that abnormalities of the heart and nervous system contribute to the high rates of cardiac failure in people with ME/CFS, that doesnât mean theyâre the only factors. Other factors such as weight and sedentary lifestyle may contribute as much or even more.
In the end, most of these studies are small and need far more investigation. What they should highlight, however, is the increased need to monitor the cardiac health of people living with ME/CFS. This is especially true for those with severe symptoms, as well as anyone who has risk factors for cardiac disease .
If you have ME/CFS, talk to your healthcare provider about heart health, any symptoms you have, and what you can do to lower your risk of cardiac disease.
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What Are The Risk Factors For Heart Disease
High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of people in the United States have at least one of these three risk factors.2 Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including
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What Causes Your Fatigue
Many physical and mental illnesses, as well as lifestyle factors, can cause your fatigue, and that can make it hard to diagnose. In some cases, it might be something simple and easy to fix, like having caffeine at bedtime. But other causes, like heart disease or COPD, are serious, and you may need to start long-term treatment right away.
Your doctor can help you sift through your health issues, as well as diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits, in order to zero in on the cause and help you on the road to recovery.
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What Are Common Heart Failure Risk Factors To Be Aware Of
Heart failure typically develops because the heart has been weakened in some way, according to the Mayo Clinic. It could also happen if your heart becomes too stiff, which prevents it from filling with blood properly between beats, a condition that is more common in people assigned female at birth.
Theres a long list of potential heart failure risk factors because there are many different health issues that can weaken your heart. Here are some of the most common ones to be aware of:
- Coronary artery disease and heart attack
When To See A Healthcare Provider
The symptoms most commonly caused by heart disease can also be produced by other medical conditions, from very serious to entirely benign. If you experience any of the above symptoms, you need an evaluation by your healthcare provider to identify the cause. These are symptoms that should never be ignored.
Additionally, if you’re having any difficulty getting an erection, especially if the problem has been gradual, this is nearly always one of the first signs of either heart disease or diabetes in men. Be sure to see your healthcare provider as soon as you notice any problem with erectile dysfunction.
If you have a family history of heart disease or you’re worried about your risk for developing it, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider. Staying proactive where your heart health is concerned can help you detect any problems early, giving you a better potential outcome.
Heart Disease Doctor Discussion Guide
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
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Fatigue An Early Sign Of Heart Attack
Unusual fatigue and sleeplessness might be early warning signs of a heart attack in women, a study suggests. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, surveyed 515 women who had heart attacks and found that 95 percent had such symptoms as much as a month before they were stricken.
Chest pains can be early indicator of a heart attack, but 43 percent of the women in the study said they never experienced chest discomfort, said researcher Jean C. McSweeney.
The study is the first time researchers have identified fatigue and sleeplessness as possible early warning signs of a heart attack in women.
If we can get women to recognize the symptoms early, we can get them treatment and prevent or delay a heart attack, said McSweeney, a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Thats why the early symptoms are significant.
The researchers said they do not know whether the findings also apply to men, who tend to have somewhat different symptoms when a heart attack strikes.
InsertArtThe study surveyed women ages 29 to 97 who had been released four to six months earlier from five hospitals in Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio after suffering a heart attack. They were shown a list of 70 symptoms they may have experienced during the months leading up the heart attack and were asked to rate them based on frequency and severity.
The women had more than just ordinary fatigue and sleeplessness.
What Causes Fatigue In Heart Disease
In general, people with heart problems experience fatigue when their heart cant pump enough blood to meet the bodys demands. When that happens, the body chooses to pump blood to the most vital areas first, including the heart and brain. As a result, other areas such as the limbs and muscles receive less blood flow, leading to the sensation of fatigue. Fatigue can be associated with muscle or kidney issues and lower cardiac function in people without diagnosed heart disease.
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Symptoms Of Coronary Artery Disease
The most common symptom of coronary artery disease is angina, or chest pain. Angina can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing, or painful feeling in your chest. It can be mistaken for indigestion or heartburn. Angina may also be felt in the shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw, or back.
Other symptoms of coronary artery disease include:
- Shortness of breath
Heart Failuresigns And Symptoms
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart fails to function properly. The terms âheart failureâ and âcongestive heart failure â donât mean that the heart has actually âfailedâ or stopped but mean one or more chambers of the heart âfailâ to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through them.
Heart failure is brought on by a variety of underlying diseases and health problems.
Your condition may involve the left side, the right side or both sides of the heart. Each side has two chambers:
- An atrium or upper chamber
- A ventricle or lower chamber
Any one of these four chambers may not be able to keep up with the volume of blood flowing through it.
Two types of heart dysfunction can lead to heart failure, including:
- Systolic Heart Failure This is the most common cause of heart failure and occurs when the heart is weak and enlarged. The muscle of the left ventricle loses some of its ability to contract or shorten. In turn, it may not have the muscle power to pump the amount of oxygenated and nutrient-filled blood the body needs.
- Diastolic Failure The muscle becomes stiff and loses some of its ability to relax. As a result, the affected chamber has trouble filling with blood during the rest period that occurs between each heartbeat. Often the walls of the heart thicken, and the size of the left chamber may be normal or reduced.
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How Does Heart Health Affect Fatigue
When you have an unhealthy heart, your whole body is affected. Your heart pumps and funnels blood throughout your body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to every vital organ to function correctly. As a result, when your heart cannot pump and channel blood throughout the body strong and fast enough, the rest of your body has to work extra hard for you to keep functioning. Such is the case with heart failure and fatigue. With heart failure, your heart does not work as efficiently as expected, which decreases the amount of blood it pumps and funnels throughout the body. Your heart chambers respond by stretching to hold more blood, which is a temporary solution to keeping blood moving, but this also weakens your hearts muscles, further weakening its ability to pump blood efficiently. When blood cannot get to your brain, lungs, and muscles fast and strong enough, one of the results is constant and relentless fatigue, often accompanied by weakness, dizziness, and confusion.
Reason : When + What You Eat Matters
Its no secret that heart failure can steal your appetite. The food choices you make, as well as your eating habits, can affect your energy level and quality of life.
Here, preventive cardiology dietitian , offers 8 tips for adopting a heart-healthy diet:
This article was adapted from Cleveland Clinic Heart Advisor.
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Why A Cough May Be An Important Sign Of Heart Failure
For people with heart failurewhen the heart doesnât pump blood like it shoulda long-term cough may indicate that treatment isnât working as well as it needs to be. Sometimes referred to as a cardiac cough or heart cough, this condition may be a side effect of certain medications used to treat heart failure.
If you develop a cardiac cough, itâs important to work with your healthcare provider to figure out whatâs causing it.
This article explores the symptoms and causes of a cardiac cough. It will also explain when you should reach out to your doctor.
How Do People With Heart Disease Experience Fatigue
Heart disease refers to a number of conditions that affect the cardiovascular system . The many types of heart disease include congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, peripheral artery disease, and heart valve problems.
Fatigue refers to a feeling of intense physical or mental exhaustion. Unlike normal tiredness, its not caused by overexertion or lack of sleep. As one MyHeartDiseaseTeam member wrote, Feeling fatigued, low energy, weak … lack of strength. Another shared that they deal with extreme fatigue every day, becoming exhausted after any activity.
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For some people, fatigue comes and goes. Sometimes, I feel great, wrote one member. I have energy. Then I quickly find myself exhausted. Its frustrating.” Others find that fatigue is a constant, like one member who shared, Cant shake the fatigue, not feeling myself lately, but other than that, Im hanging in there.
This fatigue can interfere with life in major ways. That fatigue is no fun, wrote one member. I want to take a walk to get some fresh air and end up huffing and puffing by the time I get out the door and half a block from the house. Another explained how fatigue interferes with their work: Doing OK, except for feeling physically exhausted and fatigued all day. Still falling asleep at work even when I fight to stay awake.
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