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Atrial Fibrillation Awareness

Did You Know? Sometimes the first symptom of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) a patient experiences is a stroke or mini-stroke. Symptoms of AFib commonly include a racing, pounding heart rate, palpitations, light-headedness, shortness of breath, or in some patients, there are no noticeable symptoms at all. How Does AFib Increase Stroke Risk? When the heart is…

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What is a Silent Heart Attack?

A study of approximately 9,500 middle-age adults found that nearly half of the heart attacks that occurred during the study period were “silent”. The patients were not aware they had a heart attack and did not seek medical attention however, their electrocardiogram (ECG) screening during a regular follow-up appointment showed that a heart attack had…

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What To Expect at Your Stress Test

A Q & A with Cathy Rodes, MSN, ARNP with the Cardiovascular Institute of Northwest Florida Under what circumstances would a patient need a stress test? Patients may be scheduled for stress tests to evaluate symptoms of chest pain, for an exercise prescription, to evaluate for exercise induced arrhythmia or for surveillance of known coronary…

New Technique Opens Hardened Coronary Arteries

Plaque build-up in the arteries, or atherosclerosis, is the cause of heart attack. This plaque is usually soft and pliable and a cardiologist uses a procedure called balloon angioplasty to push open the plaque build-up in narrowed arteries to restore blood flow. However, in up to 40 percent of patients who need this procedure, this…

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Cardiovascular Institute Offers Heart Failure Clinic

Heart Failure is a chronic and progressive disease, but for patients who are willing to work closely with healthcare providers and manage their diet and exercise there can be improvement in heart function and quality of life. The Cardiovascular Institute developed a Heart Failure Clinic in the Fall of 2014 with the primary goal of…

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News on Local Hospital Quality & Pricing Data — Bay Medical Recognized for both Quality & Value

Patients today are fortunate to have an increasing amount of public data available to them about hospitals and healthcare providers in order to make the most informed decision on where and from whom to receive care.  In June 2015, several sources published data regarding outcomes and charges for hospital care.  Here at the Cardiovascular Institute,…