October 23, 2013, ST. LOUIS - Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his cardiologist have documented 35 years of advances in heart disease treatment through the new book Heart: An American Medical Odyssey.
In light of the book, Michael Lim, MD, co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care (C4) at Saint Louis University Hospital, offered his top five advances in an interview with KSDK’s Kay Quinn. Watch above.
His list:
1) Advances in Heart Attack Care
Up until the mid-80’s the treatment for heart attack was simply to lie down until it stopped. That’s when the sea change was made to treat with reperfusion therapy (clot busting drugs and artery openings.)
2) The development of clot busting drugs like tPA for stroke
Dr. Lim links stroke and heart attack and notes seeing a patient come in to the emergency room with half of their body literally paralyzed and seeing tPA injected and it all come back to life is one of the most amazing pieces of modern medicine going.
3) Medical treatment for coronary artery disease
The development of medications like statins in combination with lifestyle changes has helped many patients avoid having surgery and reduced heart attack risk. In the ‘70’s, coronary artery disease was treated with bypass and that’s no longer the case.
4) Implantable cardiac defibrillators
These were actually only FDA approved within the last decade for the treatment of sudden cardiac death – which is exactly what it was. Now, when a patient goes into sudden cardiac death, their heart gets shocked back to life.
5) Treatment of rhythm disorders
The heart rhythm problem atrial fibrillation is a major cause of stroke, but over the last 25 years, huge advances on the medication front as well as the treatment front with a what is called ablation and the maze procedure.