Download Meet the Heart Expert

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Cedar Rapids, IA
Permit No. 91
1002 Fourth Ave. SE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Helping our patients live
fuller, more active lives.
Spring 2011
Heart Strong
A minimally invasive approach
in heart care
Meet the Heart Expert
Matthew J. McMahon, DO, FACC
An Iowa native, Dr. McMahon grew up in rural Clayton and Delaware counties, and
graduated from Loras College in Dubuque and Des Moines University medical school. He
began his career as a primary care physician in Nevada through the National Health Service
Corp, before deciding to continue his medical education with the United States Army.
He completed an Internal Medicine residency and cardiology Fellowship at Fitzsimons Army
Medical Center in Colorado and practiced there, as well as at Fort Benning, Georgia.
After leaving the Army, Dr. McMahon joined a busy medical practice in Las Vegas and
remained there until moving back to Iowa in 2008, where he joined Cardiologists, L.C.
Dr. McMahon is board certified in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular diseases and
internal medicine, and also has a special interest in peripheral vascular disease.
“During my early years in cardiology the era of ‘intervention’ began,” said Dr. McMahon.
“Being exposed to the pioneers of balloons, stents and other devices increased my
desire to learn and perform new techniques for diagnosis and treatment of heart and
vascular diseases.”
Dr. McMahon and his wife, Liz, enjoy travel, family and friends. Their seven
children- three of whom are still at home- and three grandchildren keep them busy
as well. Hunting, fishing and camping are also favorite ways Dr. McMahon enjoys
the great outdoors.
Call 319/364-7101 or 800/982-1959 to
schedule an appointment with Dr. McMahon.
Margaret Clark is active.
The 71-year old Belle Plaine
woman walks two miles, four
times a week with her daughter. She also cares for her six
month-old great-grandson
once a week and runs after
her other grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. So when
she had persistent chest pain
she chalked it up to acid
reflux. “It didn’t occur to me
initially that it could have
something to do with my
heart,” said Clark. “I mentioned it to my family doctor
and he suggested we check
it out. I had a stress test and
an electrocardiogram (EKG).
Both tests indicated there
were no heart troubles, but
the pain persisted.” Clark also
had shortness of breath any
time she walked upstairs.
“Stress tests and EKGs are
good tests but they are not
always 100 percent accurate,”
said Clarks’ cardiologist,
Dr. Roy Venzon, Cardiologists, L.C. “In 10 to 20 percent of cases people have a
normal stress test but end up
having a heart attack.”
Dr. Venzon suggested Clark
have an angiogram, which is
an X-ray that uses a special
dye and camera to take pictures of the blood flow to the
heart. It is used to look for
blockages.
“The main benefit of the
transradial versus the
transfemoral approach is
it’s a lot more convenient
for patients,” said Dr.
Venzon. “The groin
procedure requires people
“Over the past year at
to lay flat on their back
St. Luke’s we’ve started
and leave their legs still
using the transradial cardiac
catheterization approach,” said for at least three hours
after the procedure to
Dr. Venzon. “This approach
let the incision heal.
uses the wrist, not the groin,
With the wrist procedure
for catheter insertion. This
patients can sit up or walk
procedure has been around
immediately.”
for a number of years but
most doctors are trained only
(continued on page two)
in the transfemoral groin
approach. In recent years
the transradial approach has
gained a wider acceptance
because of improvements
in equipment.”
“Dr. Venzon told me he was
doing a fairly new procedure
to perform the angiogram
using a catheter through the
wrist,” said Clark.
“Heart disease runs in my
family,” said Clark. “My
father and brother
had heart problems.
My brother also
had a cardiac
catheterization.
His doctor used
the approach
through the
groin. It was
more invasive
and he had
an overnight
hospital stay.
I didn’t want
that.”
For your health
Thoughts on Clots: Risk
Factors & Warning Signs
Thurs., April 14 • 7 - 8 p.m.
St. Luke’s Hospital, 3rd Floor
Heart Center Classrooms
Blood clots affect people of all ages and
roughly a third of those people will die.
The risk of developing blood clots
increases with surgery, extended travel,
certain medications and age. Spend an
hour with Dr. Roy Venzon to learn the
risk factors and warning signs of blood
clots.
Bone Up on Osteoporosis
Tues., April 26 • 7- 8 p.m.
St. Luke’s Hospital, 3rd Floor
Heart Center Classrooms
One-in-two women over age 50 will
have an osteoporosis-related fracture
in her lifetime. The good news is there
are preventative steps you can take and
the earlier you start the better! Attend
this educational program on preventing,
diagnosing and treating brittle bones.
Secrets of a Long & Happy Life
Thurs., June 16 • 7 – 8 p.m.
Cedar Rapids Marriott
National Geographic explorer and writer,
Dan Buettner has traveled across the
globe to discover “Blue Zones” -hotspots of human health, vitality and
happiness. A regular guest on the Oprah
show, Dan will give you the steps to
receive more life from your years and
more years from your life.
To register for these free
events, go to stlukescr.org,
click on Classes & Events or
call 319/369-7395.
Margaret Clark watching
her great-grandson in her
Belle Plaine home.
1002 Fourth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403  319/364-7101  cardiologistslc.com
A minimally invasive approach
(continued from page one)
Transradial cardiac catheterizations typically
have less complications and less risk of
bleeding or artery problems following the
procedure. Both procedures take about
the same amount of time. Each patient
has a very small incision about two or
three millimeters. Doctors are able to
do all of the same things with either
approach; take pictures of the heart,
angioplasty or stent placement.
“I went in around 7 a.m., had the
procedure and was sent home
around 4 p.m.,” said Clark. “It
was great. I had no pain and was
able to walk around after the
procedure.”
“Margaret had a severe blockage
in one of her arteries and
I placed a stent,” said Dr.
Venzon. “In some patients like
Margaret – it’s possible for them
to forgo an overnight hospital
stay.”
Roy Venzon, MD
Cardiologists, L.C.
These days Clark is back to her
regular walks and offers a bit of
advice. “I waited about a year
and a half to get my chest pain
checked out,” said Clark. “I
was very lucky I didn’t have a
heart attack, I would tell others
to get it checked out as soon as
possible – don’t wait.”
Sick?
St. Luke’s has an app for that
With the free iTriage smartphone app, you can
access medical information for thousands of
symptoms, diseases and medical procedures,
right from your phone.
You can also search for the closest ER,
urgent care clinics, doctor’s offices
and wait times in your area.
To learn more about iTriage, log on to stlukescr.org.
iTriage is a free app available for iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad™, Android™, BlackBerry® and Palm®.
Understand your risk
for a heart attack
Increasing age
About 82 percent of people who die of heart
disease are 65 or older.
Gender
Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women
and they have attacks earlier in life.
Heredity
Children of parents with heart disease are more
likely to develop it themselves.
Smoking
Smokers’ risk of developing heart disease is two to
four times that of nonsmokers.
High blood cholesterol
As blood cholesterol rises, so does the risk of heart
disease.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure increases the heart’s workload.
Physical inactivity
An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for heart disease.
Obesity and overweight
People who have excess body fat –
especially around the waist – are more
likely to develop heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes
Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease.
Stress
Some scientists have noted a relationship between
heart disease risk and stress.
Source: American Heart Association
ST. LUKE’S
St. Luke’s Heart Check includes five easy and
convenient tests and a consultation to assess your
heart and vascular health.
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Echocardiogram (ECHO)
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm test
• Carotid artery ultrasound
• Ankle-Brachial Index test for Peripheral
Arterial Disease (PAD)
Call 319/369-8129 to schedule or visit
stlukesheartcheck.com for more information.
Ask the expert
Are heart attack symptoms
different in women?
Heart disease isn’t just a man’s disease.
Heart attacks are the number one
cause of death in both women and
men, but symptoms of this killer are
not gender neutral.
“The symptoms experienced by
women can be different than those
of men,” said Keith Kopec, MD,
cardiologist, Cardiologists, L.C. “The
classic symptom men typically feel is
heaviness or weight in the upper chest
but this is not always felt by women.
A lot of women will present with
fatigue, they can be short of breath or
can just have vague aches and pains
in the chest.”
According to the American Heart
Association (AHA) many women
believe cancer is more of a health
threat, but that’s not the case. Nearly
twice as many women in the United
States die of heart disease, stroke and
other cardiovascular diseases than
all forms of cancer, including breast
cancer.
“There are several factors that increase
the risk of heart disease and stroke,”
said Dr. Kopec. “The more risk factors
a woman has, the greater her chances
of having a heart attack or stroke.
Some of these risk factors you can’t
control, such as increasing age, family
health history, race and gender. But
you can modify, treat or control most
risk factors to lower your risk.”
One of the best things a woman
can do to reduce her heart attack
risk is to stop smoking. Other
areas she can improve would
include: reducing blood pressure,
lowering cholesterol, losing weight,
exercising and minimizing stress.
“Women tend to put their issues
behind those of their family,” said
Dr. Kopec. “Unfortunately it can
hurt them and they need to pay
attention to and take care of their
own health issues.”
If you or someone you know is
experiencing chest discomfort that
is lasting and not going away seek
medical attention immediately.
Cardiologists, L.C. now offers evening appointments at its
St. Luke’s Hospital location.
Call 1-855/CLC HEART to
schedule an appointment.
Keith Kopec, MD, Cardiologists, L.C.
What are the symptoms of a heart attack
in women?
Like in men, the most common heart attack symptom for women is pain
or discomfort in the chest. However, women can also have a heart attack
without having any chest pain. Some of the other symptoms women
might experience include:
• Feeling out of breath
• Pain that runs along the neck, jaw, or upper back
• Nausea, vomiting or indigestion
• Unexplained sweating or dizziness
• Sudden or overwhelming fatique
Heart care on your schedule.
Evening hours.
The cost for all five tests and a consultation with a St. Luke’s
heart expert is $195. A comprehensive blood test is also
available for $40.
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Cardiologists, L.C. now has evening hours to fit your busy
schedule. With 16 doctors and more than 30 years serving
Eastern Iowa, we offer you full-service, highest quality
heart care. Choose the experts at Cardiologists, L.C.
1-855-CLC-HEART
cardiologistslc.com
1/12/11
8:42 AM