"Stress tests may not be routinely needed every single year, it depends on the specific situation."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiologist

Read More: www.texasheartmedical.org/our-specialties/nuclear-stress-test/

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"Chest pain can be a sign of a serious condition, but there are many reasons to have chest pain, including low-risk ones. The characteristics of the pain, and your overall cardiovascular risk, matter in the interpretation of the pain."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiol...

"These are most likely premature heart contractions or "skipped beats". Using a rhythm monitor could help diagnose this issue."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiologist

Read More: www.texasheartmedical.org/our-specialties/heart-rhythm-disorders-arrhythmia/

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"Some patients may be able to reduce antiplatelet medication after the stent "healed" and has been covered by your own cells."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiologist

Read More: www.texasheartmedical.org/our-specialties/coronary-artery-disease-cad/

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"Most healthy patients don't need aspirin therapy. We use it in patients at high risk of bad cardiovascular events, such as those with prior heart attacks, strokes, high levels of calcium in the arteries, among others (it's a long list)."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Card...

"Not all blockages can be fixed with stents, and surgery might be the better approach. The answer is clear in some patients, but there is a large gray zone. In general (simplification), surgery tends to last longer than stents."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiologist

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"Most aortic valve procedures in the US are now done minimally invasively through the groin, but not all patients are candidates for this. We make these decisions after discussing each individual case in a multidisciplinary meeting."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiolog...

"A heart catheterization is a serious procedure, but fairly routine for cardiologists. The risk of a serious complication, while not zero, is low. The chances of something going wrong depends on the complexity of the operation, and the sickness of the patient."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General ...

"There are many types of nuclear stress tests. A CT-PET, which produces some of the higher quality images, can usually only be done with injection of drugs, and not with exercise."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General and Interventional Cardiologist

Read More: www.texasheartmedical.org/our-special...

"Women indeed can manifest heart disease through unusual symptoms. However, chest pain and stomach cramping can occur for reasons unrelated to the heart. Fortunately, your age portends low risk - but if the chest pain does not resolve, keep talking to your doctor."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, Gene...

"If you have had a heart attack, it would be wise to reduce your risk of another one through the use of medication. We now know that most patients taking statins do not have major side effects. Nonetheless, there are many alternatives available in the market."
- Dr. Alexander Postalian, General a...