ACC Update Heart Failure Guidance

American College of Cardiology
Image: acc.org

For nearly 15 years, Dr. Rajan Bhatt has served as a cardiologist at Spectrum Dermatology & Vein Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Alongside his everyday work seeing patients, Dr. Rajan Bhatt is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

In late 2017, ACC released a new update to its document titled Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure, with new information about treating patients who have reduced ejection fraction, a condition where the left portion of the heart doesn’t pump as much blood to the body as it should. In recent years, new data about how to optimally treat these patients has become available, which is why the organization felt it was time to update the document.

Some of the elements of the guidance include criteria for starting new therapy or changing therapy in reduced-ejection-fraction patients, guidelines for using multiple drug treatment strategies, when to consult with a doctor who specializes in heart failure, and when the right time might be to switch to pain management and hospice treatment in severe cases. The updated guidance can be found at onlinejacc.org.

ACOR and AHA Redefine High Blood Pressure

 

Blood Pressure
Image: heart.org

For the past 15 years, Dr. Rajan Bhatt has practiced cardiac medicine at Scottsdale, Arizona’s Spectrum Dermatology & Vein Center. Committed to the advancement of his field, Dr. Rajan Bhatt is a fellow of the American College of Radiology.

In partnership with the American Heart Association, the American College of Radiology has issued a new set of guidelines that redefines the range of blood pressures that are considered to be “high” and require intervention. According to the new guidelines, a blood pressure of 130/80 is considered to be high, which replaces the former threshold of 140/90. Under these new measurements, approximately half of American adults would fall into the “high” blood pressure category. The biggest demographic that will see an increase is men under the age of 45, as the rate of high blood pressure among that group will triple under the new guidelines. Women under 45 will see the rate of high blood pressure double among them, as well.

ASE’s Echovation Challenge Promotes Advancements in Echocardiography

 

Echovation Challenge
Image: asecho.org

Dr. Rajan Bhatt, a cardiologist at Spectrum Dermatology & Vein Center, has published numerous articles over his more than 10-year career. His work has been recognized through nearly a dozen honors and awards, and he has given several presentations around the country. Also active in the professional community, Dr. Rajan Bhatt belongs to the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE).

As part of its efforts to promote excellence in cardiovascular ultrasound, ASE maintains the Echovation Challenge. This challenge was first created in 2015 during one of the ASE’s Strategic Planning Retreats. During the retreat, the board of directors realized that the organization must foster more collaboration and innovation in the field and decided that an innovation competition would be the most compelling way to encourage this.

Their ideas culminated in the creation of the Echovation Challenge, which launched in fall 2015. During the organization’s 2016 Scientific Sessions in Seattle, the challenge held a live finals event to showcase innovations that were either in development or already adopted in echocardiography labs around the world.

The Echovation Challenge was held again in 2017 with a theme of “Streamlining Diagnostics for Augmented Medical Decision Making.” Nearly two dozen projects were recognized during the Echovation Challenge 2017, and five teams were selected to present their projects at ASE 2017.

Study Finds Fruit and Vegetable Intake May Decrease Incidence of PAD

PAD
Image: heart.org

Dr. Rajan Bhatt has been practicing cardiac medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, since 2003 at the Spectrum Dermatology & Vein Center. In addition to a medical degree, he also holds an MBA from the Peter Drucker Graduate School of Management in Los Angeles, California. Committed to learning more about heart medicine and forming professional bonds with his contemporaries in the field, Dr. Rajan Bhatt supports the efforts of the American Heart Association (AHA).

According to researchers, eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis may make people less likely to experience periphery artery disease (PAD) later in life. The study data is found in a recent AHA journal, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, in which information from more than 3.5 million individuals was aggregated to compare PAD incidence with fruit and vegetable intake.

As a whole, those who ate at least three servings of fruit and vegetables each day were nearly 20 percent less likely to develop PAD than those who say they eat fewer than three servings. In addition to the PAD correlation, the study data suggests that Americans consume far less than the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day.

The National Heart and Lung Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health provided the primary funding support for this study.

Causes and Dangers of Coronary Artery Disease

In 2009, Dr. Rajan Bhatt coauthored an article on diagnostic imaging for patients with and without coronary artery disease. Dr. Rajan Bhatt, a practicing cardiologist, also stands out as recipient of the University of Arizona’s Distinguished Research Award for 2004 and 2005 for his collaborative work on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during ongoing ventricular fibrillation.

Coronary artery disease, the most prevalent type of heart condition in the United States today, occurs when the arteries that receive blood from the heart become clogged and narrowed. When cholesterol and plaque flow through these arteries, they build up on the artery walls and harden into a compound, causing a condition known as atherosclerosis. As this substance continues to build up within the arteries, it restricts blood flow and prevents the heart from getting sufficient oxygen to pump properly.

The effects of coronary artery disease (CAD) include weakened cardiac muscle, chest pain, and arrhythmias. If the lack of blood flow severely weakens the heart, heart failure may also occur. Furthermore, narrowed arteries place the patient at greater risk of heart attack, due to the increased likelihood that a blood clot will block off the artery itself.