Aspirin no longer recommended for heart attack prevention

[Dr. Neil Sanghvi discusses why taking daily doses of aspirin is no longer recommended for heart attack prevention for adults who don’t have heart disease or at high risk for developing heart disease.

New EP Lab Flagler Hospital St. Augustine

First Coast Heart & Vascular Center is proud to be a part of Flagler Hospital’s new EP Lab. Dr. Neil Sanghvi talks about the new EP Lab.

New Fleming Island Office Map

Our Fleming Island office has moved. Below is a map to help you find our new Fleming Island office.

Welcome Dr. Gayle Martin

First Coast Heart & Vascular Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Gayle Martin and her staff will be joining First Coast Heart & Vascular Center effective November 1^st.  The two cardiology practices will continue to provide services under one name, First Coast Heart & Vascular Center. She will be located in our new Fleming office at 4565 Highway 17, Suite 106, Fleming Island, FL 32003.  The phone is 904-375-8100.

New Fleming Island Office

We are excited to announce that we have moved our Fleming Island office to a new location!  Effective November 1st, 2018 our new Fleming Island office we will be located at 4565 Highway 17, Suite 106, Fleming Island, 32003.  The office complex is located just north of the Dunkin Donuts on Highway 17. Our phone and fax number remain the same.  Phone: 904-375-8100, Fax: 904-375-8101

Bringing New EP Technology to St. Augustine

Bringing new EP Technology to St. Augustine

Great News about Dr. Neil Sanghvi and Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. Together we are creating a new EP lab and ablation program. Flagler Hospital has committed resources to build a 1,000 square foot, state of the art hybird EP lab. The goal is to create one of the most advanced EP labs in Northeast Florida. Dr. Sanghvi is the Director of Electrophysiology Services for the hospital as well as being a partner with First Coast Heart & Vascular.  To read more.

Welcome Dr. Sunil Singh

Welcome Dr. Sunil Singh!  We are pleased to add another Interventional Cardiologist to our practice. Dr. Sunil Singh is originally from New York where he attended medical school at New York University School of Medicine.  He  completed his Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine.  Most recently he completed his Interventional Cariology Training at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

He will be seeing patients in our Jacksonville and Fleming Island offices.

Welcome Dr. Michael Koren

First Coast Heart & Vascular Center is pleased to announce that Michael J. Koren, MD and his staff from Apex Cardiovascular have joined the practice. The two cardiology practices will continue to provide services under one name, First Coast Heart & Vascular Center.

Dr. Koren and his staff have moved to First Coast Heart & Vascular Center’s Jacksonville office located at 3901 University Blvd. S., Suite 221, Jacksonville, FL 32216.

First Coast Heart & Vascular Center is a nationally recognized Center for Excellence and is honored to have Dr. Koren join the practice.  Dr. Koren is also Chief Executive Officer at Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research (JCCR), which conducts clinical trials at 8 locations in Florida. As a premier clinical research organization, JCCR has conducted more than 1,000 clinical trials over 20 years and has worldwide recognition for providing patients access to cutting-edge medical research.

“This combination of physicians and healthcare professionals will provide the best resources and strength in the field of cardiology in North East Florida,” stated Dr. Kevin Hayes, President of First Coast Heart & Vascular Center.  “We are committed to healthcare excellence with a clear strategy: one practice, one philosophy, and one goal to provide quality cardiovascular care to our patients.”

The Link between Heart Disease and Diabetes

The majority of people living with diabetes understand that they have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. But the following statistics show clearly that there is a strong link between heart disease and diabetes.

• As many as 68 percent of people age 65 and older with diabetes die from some form of heart disease.  Approximately 16 percent will die of a stroke.
• Adults who have diabetes have twice the chance of developing heart disease as people who don’t have diabetes.
• The American Heart Association considers diabetes to be one of the seven main controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The link between diabetes and heart disease begins with high blood sugar levels. Over time, the high glucose in the bloodstream injures the arteries, making them become stiff and hard.

The fatty material that builds up on the inside of these blood vessels can obstruct blood flow to the heart or brain and potentially cause a heart attack or stroke. Your risk of heart disease with diabetes is even higher if you also have a family history of cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Diabetes can also affect many major organs in your body, which can lead to an assortment of dangerous complications when left untreated. These medical problems include:

• Cardiovascular disease including peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stroke;
• Kidney disease;
• Harmful cholesterol levels, which can cause atherosclerosis;
• Damage to one’s eyesight;
• Nerve damage and numbness in your extremities which can result in amputation;
• Metabolic syndrome;

Healthy Lifestyle Habits

It’s important to have healthy lifestyle habits that can help you control your diabetes and prevent heart disease.

• Follow a healthy eating plan.
• Physical activity should be a part of your daily routine.
• Stay at or get to a healthy weight.

• Work with your health care team to manage your disease, which may include the use of medications.
• Know your health numbers. – blood pressure and diabetes.

Managing your Diabetes

Understanding your diabetes numbers will reduce your risk for heart disease.

• The A1C test reveals your average blood sugar level over the past three months. High blood sugar levels can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, feet, and eyes.
• High blood pressure makes your heart to work too hard. It can cause a heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.
• There are two types of cholesterol LDL and HDL. LDL is often referred to as the bad cholesterol. It can build up and clog your blood vessels and can trigger a heart attack or stroke. Talk with your health care provider about your cholesterol numbers. Sometimes you may need to take medications to lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.
• Don’t smoke and quit if you do. It is particularly important for people with diabetes since both smoking and diabetes narrow the blood vessels, so your heart has to work even harder.

Is there a connection between AFib and Dementia

Is there a connection between AFib and Dementia?

One of the most comprehensive studies to date has revealed more evidence that people diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of rapid or irregular heartbeat may be at greater risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

The new study doesn’t conclude if the association is more than a correlation, and there is no evidence showing atrial fibrillation is an actual cause of cognitive decline or dementia.

Dr. Lin Yee Chen, a cardiac electrophysiologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis who led the study stated that “the short answer is we don’t know. It is too early to say that atrial fibrillation directly causes cognitive decline.”

The new findings, published March 7, 2018 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, come from data gathered on 12,500 women and men from North Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota and Mississippi enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Over half the participants were women and about a quarter were African-American.To read more about the study.

One of First Coast Heart & Vascular Center’s Electrophysiologists, Dr. Neil Sanghvi offers his viewpoint on this interesting study.

“The ARIC-NCS study highlights another risk associated with atrial fibrillation – the risk of worsening cognitive functioning and potential risk of future dementia.  

“Asymptomatic” AF may not truly be asymptomatic since these future consequences of long-standing AF need to be considered.  Talk to your physician about appropriate management including adequate anticoagulation.”