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Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Many people have been asking us about how Michael Jackson died. According to media reports, the probable cause of death is sudden cardiac arrest. But what is sudden cardiac arrest, and why does it happen?
When someone's heart stops beating, it's called cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest may be caused by a heart attack or by an electrical disturbance in the heart. Cardiac arrest and heart attack are not the same thing.
A heart attack is the common name for myocardial infarction, or MI. It is caused by a blockage in the coronary arteries - usually atherosclerotic plaque but sometimes a blood clot. The blockage prevents blood flow from getting to the heart muscle, and without sufficient oxygen, the heart will stop beating. This is cardiac arrest, but you can also have a heart attack without cardiac arrest, as long as the heart is getting enough oxygen to keep beating.
When someone's heart stops beating but there is no blockage, this is called sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. Most cardiac arrests of this type are caused by irregular heart rhythm.
Your heart has a built-in electrical system that sends signals to the heart muscles, telling them to contract. Normally, this electrical system sends a signal every second or so, and your heart beats, pumping oxygen- rich blood to your brain and the rest of your body. If the electrical system malfunctions, though, the heart will not beat normally. If the electrical signals become very rapid, very slow, or chaotic, the heart may stop beating.
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Vitamin D Deficiency & Cardiovascular Disease
By C. Patrick Green, M.D., FACC
We typically think of Vitamin D in terms of how it relates to bone health. Vitamin D deficiency does cause rickets in children and increases risk for osteoporisis and bone fracture in adults. New information is coming available however that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in other chronic health problems including cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D deficiency may predispose to high blood pressure, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, congestive heart failure and may increase risk of major cardiac events such as myocardial infarction.
Vitamin D comes in two forms, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is found in plants and can be consumed as a supplement or in fortified food. Vitamin D3 is made in the human skin with sunlight exposure or consumed in the form of oily fish, fortified foods or supplements. Vitamin D is then modified, first in the liver adn then in the kidneys to its active form in the body. Vitamin D is really a hormone, being produced in one organ and circulating throughout the body exerting wide ranging effects with direct or indirect influence on over 200 genes. These are involved with bone and muscle health, immune function, hormones that play a role in blood pressure control, and insulin production from the pancreas, amoung others.
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First in the World!
Thomas Downes, M.D., FACC
Medical Center of the Rockies Foundation's cardiac research department and Heart Center of the Rockies were the first in the world to enroll a patient in Boston's Scientific's Platinum clinical trial.
By taking part in this trial, Heart Center of the Rockies's cardiologists, like Dr. Thomas Downes, are able to use one of the most advanced and newest coronary stents available.
"Dr. Thomas Downes and Medical Center of the Rockies Foundation are key investigators for the PLATINUM trial," said Hank Kucheman, senior vice president and group president of Boston Scientific's Cardiovascular business. "We're excited to begin evaluating our third-generation Element platform, which holds significiant promise in the treatment of coronary artery disease."
"The physicians and staff at Heart Center of the Rockies are proud to partner with Boston Scientific in this investigational trial of its new stent platform. Our research department has worked endless hours to see our vision of providing world class healthcare come true. Engaging in international trials certainly puts our name out there, but the work or our nurses, cath lab and research staff speaks for itself," said Dr. Downes.
Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.
The Medical Center of the Rockies Foundation cardiac research department and Heart Center of the Rockies will continue to grow and explore new areas of cardiovascular medicine and are very interested in continuing to offer the latest technology and pharmacological advances to the patients they serve.
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