New technology to improve heart health
ST. JOSEPH, MO (News-press NOW) -- As heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Americans, local physicians are continuing to use new technology to improve heart health.
Dr. Jane Schwabe, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Mosaic, has worked in the profession since 1997. While an advocate for no smoking and vaping use, Dr Schwabe said prevention is the key to ensuring Americans keep their hearts healthy, especially in the Northwest Missouri area.
"The best way to treat a disease is to not let it ever happen," Schwabe said. "So, preventing heart disease, lung disease, stuff like that starts in childhood."
Some ways people can intervene and prevent heart disease include: educating yourself on family history, incorporating the right nutrition in diet and not smoking.
Dr. Schwabe said new stent technology called TAVR allows for physicians to cut down scar tissue growing inside of the valves.
"We now have what are called drug-eluting stents, where they're coated with basically chemotherapy to kind of cut down scar tissue to grow inside the stents," said Schwabe.
According to the American Heart Association, about 48% of Americans have heart disease. As it continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, Dr. Schwabe said symptoms can look different, especially in women, since they tend to have smaller frames.
"We've got what's called a tab or program so we can do valve replacement without having to do open heart surgery," Schwabe said. "That's a problem called aortic stenosis, which tends to be a little more female heavy than male heavy in the older ages.
