Structural Heart

Your Heart's Roadmap

Your heart has four valves with tissue flaps that open and close with every heartbeat. These flaps act as a roadmap for the heart, guiding blood flow in the right direction through the four chambers of your heart and throughout your body. If a problem occurs with one of your heart valves, our team at the DMC is here to help you.

Although some people have heart valve defects they are born with or disease that has developed over time, they may not have symptoms or even any problems. In other cases, the heart valve problem may worsen and cause symptoms to develop. When left untreated, advanced heart valve disease can cause heart failure, stroke, blood clots, or even death.

Navigating Your Care

The Structural Heart/Valve Clinic at the DMC is designed to make your visit more efficient, saving you time away from work or home by making sure you can be seen by our entire team in just one day.

The Structural Heart Program at the DMC encompasses interventional technology as well as the latest in structural heart innovations. The variety of minimally-invasive treatment options gives patients a wide range of personalized choices with the ability to make an educated decision based on their specific diagnosis.

A patient navigator will make all the necessary appointments and schedule you with one of our cardiologists and a cardiovascular surgeon, who are skilled in some of the most innovative valve procedures, and work together to develop your personalized care plan.

What You Can Expect

A visit to the Valve Clinic might include reviewing any previous tests or imaging of your heart, or some new testing may be performed. There are various options for treating valve disease, and our team will discuss those with you. Surgery to fix or replace a faulty valve may be needed. If that is the case, we offer minimally invasive techniques to lessen pain and blood loss, and allow you to get back to your daily routine faster, with a healthier heart.

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10 Health Tips for People Who Sit for Long Hours

Sitting for a long period of time, whether it’s in the office or at home, can work against a person’s health in the long run. Ultimately, it may increase your risk for weight gain, heart disease, joint pain and diabetes, and it may also affect your posture.

If you are guilty of sitting majority of your day, here are some health tips that can help you avoid the long-term consequences that sitting for long hours may cause.

1. Support your back using a small pillow or towel to maintain good posture.	2. Position your computer screen at eye level to avoid straining your neck and eyes.
3. Keep your feet flat on the floor, so your body weight is evenly distributed across your hips.	4. Stand up every hour to stretch and just take a few minutes to move your body.
5. Go for a quick walk during your break time.	6. Take the stairs, instead of the elevator, as much as possible.
7. Remember to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 5 days a week, even in 10-minute increments.	8. Eat healthier and limit your sugar intake.
9. Commit to drinking more water.	10. Squeeze in short, high-intensity workouts in your schedule.

Final Thoughts

Sitting for long hours doesn’t have to completely compromise your health and well-being. Following the tips above can help you stay on top of your health as well as prevent the common health risks attached to living a sedentary lifestyle. However, if you’re experiencing signs of a chronic condition, whether it’s joint pain, diabetes or heart disease, please schedule an appointment with one of our doctors to get checked as soon as possible.

Have a productive day ahead!

Sources:
Harvard Health Publishing
Healthline
Lifehack