Cardiology

1. If you suffer from chest pain; chest pain is one of the most typical signs indicating a heart problem. Although chest pain can be due to a number of non-heart-related causes, pain that begins or worsens with activity is especially worrisome. A cardiologist can help determine the cause and prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
2. When you have high blood pressure; blood pressure is the force with which blood hits the walls of the arteries. Having high blood pressure for a long period of time forces the heart to work harder, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke.
3. If palpitations, breathing problems and/or dizziness are detected; a cardiologist can help clarify whether these symptoms are due to a heart problem. These symptoms could be due to an abnormal heart rhythm or coronary disease.
4. In the case of suffering from diabetes; there is an important relationship between heart disease and diabetes. Poor control of sugar levels affects blood vessels and increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
In the case of being a smoker; Smoking is one of the most important preventable risks in heart disease, as it contributes to increased blood pressure.
5. History of high cholesterol; cholesterol contributes to the formation of plaques in the arteries that cause a decrease in the caliber of the vessel. One of the best ways to lower cholesterol is to eat healthy. The cardiologist can also prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications.
6. Renal problems; if the kidneys do not work properly, the cardiac risk is greater. Kidney problems are associated with an increase in blood pressure.
7. Family history of heart disease; some types of heart disease can be genetic in origin. If a close relative has suffered a heart problem at an early age, the cardiologist can determine how it may affect them and request tests and/or recommend preventive measures.
8. If you do not do physical exercise but you plan to start doing it; physical exercise has many benefits and has a crucial role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but in some cases some heart problems can make exercise an unsafe activity.

○ Age above 65 years
○ Family history of cardiovascular disease
○ Being a smoker
○ High blood pressure
○ Hypercholesterolemia
○ Sedentary lifestyle
○ Overweight
○Diabetes

Eating healthy is an important way to reduce or eliminate some risk factors. A heart-healthy diet can help lower “bad” cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, and keep weight under control.
Some recommendations:
○ Eat more fruit, vegetables and legumes
○ Take lean sources of protein: chicken, fish, soy. Do not abuse red meat
○ Consume complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread and limit simple carbohydrates, such as those from sugar and sweets
○ Decrease salt intake

Aerobic exercises 20-30 minutes a day, at least 3 or 4 days a week
Warm up before exercising
Increase activity gradually
Seek professional advice before starting the training sessions so that it is consistent with the physical situation

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a simple and painless procedure that measures the electrical activity of the heart. Every time the heart beats, an electrical signal circulates through it.
An electrocardiogram shows whether your heart is beating at a normal rate and force.

It is a non-invasive test. It provides precise information about the structure of the heart, valves, and the pumping ability of the heart. It is a comfortable test, during which you will have to lie down on a stretcher, a conductive gel will be applied to your chest and the procedure will be carried out using a probe.

The blood pressure holter (or also called ABPM) is the 24-hour recording of blood pressure that is performed by placing a BP cuff on the arm just like the one in the office and that is connected to a receiver laptop that takes blood pressure from time to time for 24 hours and in which said BP measurements are recorded during these 24 hours.
Its objective is the study of:
○ AHT diagnosis
○ Control of AHT treatment and assessment of the need for therapeutic modification.
○ Study of arterial hypotension in hypertensive patients treated and patients with arterial hypotension.
○ Rule out HTA from the white coat.
○ Follow-up of hypertensive and difficult-to-control patients.
○ Hidden hypertension (reverse white coat syndrome)

The cardiac holter or ECG Holter, is the 24-hour electrocardiographic recording that is performed by placing electrodes on the chest wall, and connected to a portable receiver for 24 hours, in which the 24-hour cardiac activity is recorded. Its objective is the study of the heart rhythm disorder that is not observed in a routine ECG:
○ Chest pain, palpitations or syncope
○ Pacemaker control
○ Assess treatments for arrhythmias
○ Study of possible cardiac rhythm disturbances

In some cases, always with the advice of the professional on an individual basis, the use of a remote control system from home could be proposed to the patient. For certain patients, this system will help to better monitor and review the functioning of some aspects of their heart. For this, the patient will be provided with a small transmitter that he will take to her home. With it, it will be possible to establish connections with the pacemaker or defibrillator and send the same information to the cardiologist that would be obtained if the specialist's office was accessed in person. In some cases, this collection and sending of information is done manually, that is, the patient or their relatives, with the transmitter connected to the electrical network and the telephone line, place a small control on the stimulator and activate the start button. running, waiting, before concluding the process, for the indicators to come on indicating that the remote review has been carried out correctly. Other models do not require a telephone connection via cable since the information is sent through a mobile telephone system, emitting through a small built-in antenna. When you are provided with the remote control system, your cardiologist will program into the system or provide you with the dates on which you will need to carry out transmissions from home.
This will allow the cardiologist to continuously monitor your device, even if you are far from your habitual residence in Spain, 365 days a year.