Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My husband, age 76, has suddenly developed atrial fibrillation. He had an active life, walking three to four miles five days a week and hunting. Now he can get short of breath while sitting in a chair. If he goes outside to do yard work he gets short of breath within just a few minutes.

He has had two cardioversions (procedures to reduce the pulse rate) but they didn’t help for long. His rhythm remained normal in the hospital but once home he went back to being abnormal. His heartbeat was rapid so he takes warfarin to prevent a stroke. He has his levels monitored every few weeks.

My husband’s heart rate is now at a normal level of 80 but he continues to be short of breath. His heart specialist says he’ll have to live with it. His chiropractor says he had has the same thing for more than 20 years [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have been reading of the success of lipo-flavonoids on dizziness in your column. There has never been any mention of the time span when this treatment becomes effect. Could you advise how long it takes to see some improvement?

DEAR READER:
How fast improvement is seen varies from person to person and is dependent on the severity of the problem. Some may experience improvement within a few days or weeks while others may not see results for up to six months. There is also the set of individuals for whom the product does not work.

If you have not done so, I urge you to see your doctor regarding your dizziness. This can be a symptom of benign conditions such as vertigo as well as potentially serious disorders such as heart disease. Once the cause has been determined, appropriate treatment can begin. [Read more...]

Sunday Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Could you kindly explain the results of my recent electrocardiogram? My family doctor does not respond to my questions.

The following is from the letter I got from the imaging center: “Baseline electrocardiogram shows first degree atrioventricular block, non specific ST-T changes, prominent left ventricular voltage. There were no significant dysrhythmias induced by exercise. There are diffuse ST changes on the electrocardiogram, particularly in inferior limb leads, but these changes were primarily upsloping and did not meet definite criteria for ischemia. Immediate recovery phase was unremarkable. The remainder of the recovery phase was unremarkable.”

What is your take on all this? I am a healthy 66-year-old male.

DEAR READER:
I will break down the results so that they are easier to understand. [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 76-year-old male. I am 6’ tall and weigh 175 pounds. My blood pressure ranges from 109-125/56-68 with a pulse between 44 and 53. I take an 81 mg aspirin, 10 mg lisinopril and a multi-vitamin every day. I exercise daily by walking, biking or lifting weights.

Because of an irregular heartbeat I have had an angiogram, 2 echocardiograms, multiple EKGs, and a stress test in the last five years. My cholesterol level is 171, LDL is 115, HDL is 36 and triglycerides are 102. My doctor wants my LDL below 100 and wants me to start Zocor. I don’t agree with him but would like your opinion on the situation.

DEAR READER:
You sent a copy of your lab work which I have reviewed. Everything appears to be within normal limits. [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
What are some of the side effects of prednisone or an overdose of it? My elderly dad who is 82 and fairly healthy came down with a cold a few months ago. He saw his doctor who prescribed prednisone, two pills by mouth four times a day for five days. After taking four days he became delirious and nearly lost consciousness. He went back to the doctor who simply said “Oh, yeah”.

My father seems to be tired a lot, has very little energy and is short of breath. He is seeing a heart specialist who diagnosed him with a fibrillating heart. He never had heart problems before the prednisone. Could the medication have caused his heart problem?

DEAR READER:
Prednisone is an oral corticosteroid and is not an appropriate treatment option for trivial colds. [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 59-year-old female. I am very obese but have no major illnesses and don’t smoke or drink.

During a recent physical, my physician told me I have a very enlarged heart. I asked him what that means both now and in the future in regard to my health. He said as long as I don’t have any more symptoms I don’t need to worry about it. However, it has been a great worry to me. Could you please explain what this means to me?

DEAR READER:
Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) can be caused by many things, some beneficial, others life-threatening. I will provide you with a general overview of the condition, including symptoms, possible causes and treatment options. I cannot give you specific information regarding your case because you do not say what symptoms you have been experiencing. [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I read with interest the letter from the wife of a gentleman who developed pain in his jaw area while exercising. You were so concerned that you called the writer fearing it might be angina pectoris.

My 17-year-old daughter and I were hiking recently. She jogged ahead of me while I walked. I eventually caught up to her and she was standing there not looking “quite right”. Her color was off and she said she had a headache and that her jaw hurt. Because I had read your column, I asked her if this had occurred before and she said it happens every time she runs, uses a treadmill or dances. Nothing has been detected by her physician during her regular check-ups but I am still concerned. Is she too young to have heart problems? Should she see a cardiologist? Please help out this concerned mother.

DEAR READER:
Angina pectoris is usually caused by a lack of blood and oxygen [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My son is 38 years old. A few months ago he went out of town to have a physical before he applied for insurance. Everything was normal except for his triglyceride level which was over 800. He went back two months later for a retest after watching his diet and the level went down to 300.

My son is not overweight but many of his uncles and cousins (on his father’s side) had fatal heart attacks early in life. I am concerned that he is not under the care of a physician and, given his family history and his own high triglyceride level, I fear he may end up like many of the men on his father’s side. He doesn’t smoke and drinks socially (three to four beers or cocktails at a time).

Could you please print a reply to my letter so he can see how important it is to lower his triglyceride level and be under the care of a physician? [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My doctor has prescribed digoxin for my heart. I have an abnormal rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. I don’t want to take this medicine because of an article I once read that said it sends more people to the hospital than it keeps out each year.

I’d like your opinion about this medicine, its safety and effects — especially with the elderly. I’m 86. Thank you for your response.

DEAR READER:
Simply put, digoxin helps the heart beat strongly and regularly. It is used to treat atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, congestive heart failure, and more.

Individuals with thyroid, kidney, liver, or lung disease should check with their physicians before taking the medication. Certain drugs can affect digoxin. They include antacids and laxatives that contain aluminum, some beta blockers, some calcium channel blockers and certain water pills.

Side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, visual disturbances, headache, anxiousness, fatigue, weakness, skin rash, palpitations, confusion, and chest pain. Adverse reactions tend to occur at higher doses and often disappear when the dose is reduced.

As you know, there are side effects with any medication, and digoxin is no exception. I am sure your cardiologist carefully reviewed your medical history and current medications before placing you on this drug. If you have read about negative studies, take the article to his or her office and request an explanation. If you feel the drug isn’t appropriate, ask to try another drug in the same category. Start with a limited supply so you are not out-of-pocket a large amount of money for something that could have many more side effects than the digoxin. On the other hand, if your cardiac condition has improved or stabilized and the drug appears to be working for you despite what you’ve read, perhaps you will choose not to make a change. Your primary care physician or cardiologist should be the one to help you make the decision.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Coronary Artery Disease”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 176, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My husband is 71 years old. He eats few sweets and fats, very little red meat and doesn’t consume salt. He also takes vitamin supplements. He has coronary artery disease that bothers him very little, so he assumes he is okay. He gets minimal exercise and sleeps a lot. He smokes a half pack of low-nicotine cigarettes and drinks three ounces of tea mixed with 14 ounces of gin daily. He insists that his smoking and drinking won’t hurt him and refuses to quit either.

I am concerned that he is living on borrowed time. He isn’s because his doctor says his liver and lungs are fine. He is drinking FIVE TIMES the maximum limit of three ounces of gin every day. This can’t be doing his body any good, yet he just won’t stop.

Please help.

DEAR READER:
Despite your husband’s healthful diet, he has an apparently mild-to-moderate case of coronary artery disease. Any result of this condition can be serious (stroke, heart attack, and more) and must be met with lifestyle, behavioral and medical changes. This includes stopping smoking and drastically reducing or stopping drinking.

The fact that your husband has not stopped smoking and drinking and he doesn’t see the harm in his habits is absolutely crazy. He is definitely flirting with danger, despite his insistence that he feels fine. I would define your husband as an alcoholic. Fourteen ounces of gin daily is far too much. In one month he consumes approximately three GALLONS of gin. I don’t think the average American even consumes three gallons of milk a month, let alone any form of alcohol. Your husband’s sleeping pattern may also be a result of his coronary artery disease, but it is most likely the result of his over-indulgence in alcohol. He may simply be too impaired to function. Also, just because the physician says your husband’s liver is fine, doesn’t mean that will always be the case. I am disappointed that he isn’t insisting your husband discontinue drinking.

As to your husband’s smoking habit, low-nicotine cigarettes are still just as harmful as standard cigarettes. The amount of nicotine is reduced, but the tar, chemicals and carcinogens are not. Cigarettes in any form are a definite health “no-no”.

I agree that your husband is living on borrowed time; however, you cannot make him change. This is something he must do himself. You can talk to him when he is sober and state your case, feelings, and interpretation of the consequences he will face if things don’t change, but you must be prepared to follow through. He probably will not listen, insist you are wrong and continue the behavior until something serious happens (such as a stroke, heart attack, car accident, etc.). I urge you to seek out a counselor or therapist who will allow you to express your feelings and concerns.

Show your husband my response, talk to his doctor and then back off. It must be your husband’s decision to change. Nagging, insistence and otherwise bothersome behavior may only make the situation worse.

To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Coronary Artery Disease” and “Mental and Substance Abuse”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 per report to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.