Page 102 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2017

HEALTHY LIVING healthy beats Heart month
celebrates
latest advancements in treatments
story by Lynn Lofton photo courtesy of Mahmoud H. Zayed, M.D.
February is heart month across the country with the American Heart Association focusing on the latest treatments for heart disease. A local interventional cardiologist, Mahmoud H. Zayed, M.D., outlines some of the latest advancements.
“In a large clinical trial, the new drug Entresto was highly effective for congestive heart failure. It achieved
a substantial 20 percent reduction
in death or repeat hospitalization compared with the best currently available therapies,” Zayed said.
A new treatment for high cholesterol, PSCK9 inhibitors, has moved from discovery to the clinic more rapidly than any cardiovascular advancement in recent memory, Zayed explained. “The single most important risk
factor for developing coronary heart disease is an elevated level of ‘bad’ cholesterol, also known as LDL-C,”
he said. “Currently, the best available drugs for reducing cholesterol, statins, have been shown to lower the risk
of heart attack or stroke, but some patients cannot tolerate statins or can’t take large enough dosages to adequately reduce cholesterol levels.”
PSCK9 inhibitors have proven to reduce bad LDL-C by as much as 70 percent. These drugs are given by injection every two weeks or once a month through very small needles, and patients can self-inject using an automated injector.
A less invasive surgery for heart valve disease, TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration for patients who need an aortic valve replacement, but are
too high risk for standard open-heart surgery.
A 10-year study of heart disease in women is shedding more light on the differences in women and men. “Every woman should know her numbers
for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight and where that weight falls on the chart,” the doctor said. “If a woman’s waist measures over 38 inches, she’s in the danger zone.”
He also notes that because women tend to develop heart disease later in life and often have other health issues, they are sicker than men.
“Mississippi has the highest heart mortality rate in the country, but I
am optimistic because we have made advances with research and increased awareness,” Dr. Zayed said.
Recent studies confirm that a daily baby aspirin could save lives of older Americans at risk of heart disease. “People are likely confused about whether to take aspirin because they are hearing contradictory advice,”
he said. “Updated guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommend daily low dose aspirin for the prevention of a first heart attack (so-called primary prevention) among at-risk older Americans who meet certain criteria and do not have a raised risk for bleeding.”
Sleep should also be viewed as an important lifestyle factor associated with heart disease risk. “According to studies, obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia put people at significant risk of heart and cerebrovascular diseases, including arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, and stroke, as well as metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes,” Zayed said.
The founder of the Southern Mississippi Heart Center, Dr. Zayed is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and Interventional Cardiology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions.
Mahmoud H. Zayed, M.D.
Southern Mississippi Heart Center
228.872.4040 | www.smhconline.com
American Heart Association
228.604.4585 | www.heart.org
102 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • February 2017
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