Cardiovascular Disease Specialist
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Core Cardiology
Rahul Gaglani, MD
Interventional Cardiology & Vascular Specialist located in Murrieta, CA
Cardiovascular disease isn't just a single condition; it’s a collection of disorders that affect the health of your heart. If you have any concerns about your heart, board-certified interventional cardiologist Rahul Gaglani, MD, can help. At Core Cardiology in Murrieta, California, Dr. Gaglani diagnoses and treats all forms of cardiovascular disease, with expertise in women's cardiovascular health. To learn more, call the office or book an appointment online today.
Cardiovascular Disease Q & A
What is cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease is a comprehensive term for disorders affecting the structure of your heart or its function, including:
Abnormal heart rhythms
Abnormal heartbeats are called arrhythmias. Tachycardia is an arrhythmia in which your heart beats too fast. Bradycardia is an arrhythmia in which your heart beats too slowly.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathies are diseases affecting your heart muscle. It means your heart is abnormally large, thick, or stiff, and doesn't pump blood as efficiently as a healthy heart. Cardiomyopathy can lead to arrhythmia and heart failure.
Coronary artery disease
Coronary artery disease is a consequence of atherosclerosis, a condition where cholesterol and other waste products in your blood build up to form a substance called plaque. The sticky plaque coats the inside of your arteries, causing them to narrow, and lead to serious heart problems.
Heart failure
Heart failure is a leading cause of health problems, affecting over 6.5 million people in the United States. It means your heart isn't pumping as well as it should, leaving your body short of oxygen.
Heart valve disease
Valves keep blood flowing through each of the four chambers in your heart. Heart valve disorders include aortic stenosis, in which your largest artery — the aorta — narrows and restricts blood flow, and mitral valve insufficiency, where one of the valves can't shut properly.
How is cardiovascular disease treated?
The treatment you require for cardiovascular disease depends on which condition you have. Medications often form a part of your treatment, helping to reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and prevent your blood from getting too thick.
Problems like coronary artery disease might require cardiac catheterization, where Dr. Gaglani inserts a thin tube called a catheter into an artery. He passes specialized instruments into the catheter to treat the disease.
For example, he might open a blocked artery using a medical balloon and fix a stent (a small metal mesh tube) to hold the blood vessel open.
If minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedures aren't suitable for your condition, you might need heart valve surgery or coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Making changes to your lifestyle is also vital for both treating and preventing cardiovascular disease.
Do women suffer from cardiovascular disease?
Many people still have the idea that women don't suffer from cardiovascular disease as much as men. However, heart disease is responsible for more female deaths in the US than any other cause, and more women than men die each year from cardiovascular disease.
It's essential for women to take their heart health seriously and know about the risks of cardiovascular disease.
For cardiovascular disease screening and treatment, call Core Cardiology or book an appointment online today.