Maggie McKay (Host): There are many factors of heart disease and many treatments doctors can implement to keep your heart healthy. But what are they, and is it always caused by genes or does your lifestyle factor in? Dr. Reema Sheth, interventional cardiologist, answers these questions and more.

Welcome to Silver Cross Hospital's IMatter Health podcast, where medical experts bring you the latest information on health topics that matter most to you and your family. I'm Maggie McKay. So good to have you here today, Dr. Sheth. Thank you for making the time.

Reema Sheth, DO: Thank you so much for having me.

Host: First, can you explain what an interventional cardiologist does?

Reema Sheth, DO: So, interventional cardiology is a subspecialty within cardiology where we help identify, treat, and limit risk for developing coronary artery disease. And if we do find a potential major blockage or plaque buildup in one of your major arteries that supplies blood to the heart, then we can do a procedure, minimally invasive, called a coronary angiogram to open up that blockage with a stent.

Host: And why would someone come to see you?

Reema Sheth, DO: If someone was having any type of cardiac related symptoms, which can include, but are obviously not limited to, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, more so related with exertion, if not with even at rest, those are symptoms that we can help address that potentially may be coronary artery disease-related.

Host: In terms of treatments, are there any trends you're seeing in patients?

Reema Sheth, DO: I think with current, rising in obesity, there have been more predisposition to risk factors that can lead to coronary artery disease, especially at even now younger ages. So, I think things and trends are changing where we may be seeing them more prevalent at younger ages than what we're used to.

Host: And how has technology and medical advancements helped you and patients over the last several years?

Reema Sheth, DO: Well, the wonderful thing in cardiology is that it's ever growing. We have lots of new and updated technology and equipment to help identify, prevent and treat coronary artery disease, from screening tests to lab work to help monitor and reduce your risk factors such as cholesterol with newer medications that, if for some reason you don't tolerate one, we have other options, to now treating them with advanced techniques within interventional cardiology. For example, like lithotripsy, which is a device to help break calcium in these calcified plaques, or orbital arthrectomy, which is where we can actually drill through some of these plaques in order to help optimize the best stent that we can place.

Host: And what makes a healthy heart? Do genetics and environmental play an equal role or does one cause more issues than the other?

Reema Sheth, DO: I think they both play a significant role. It's hard to always tell which one plays more, because everyone has a little bit different genetics and risk factors that they're exposed to. I think some people are more predisposed to coronary artery disease and with certain type of risk factors that they may be more exposed to can help exaggerate it. For example, with someone that has a strong family history in first-degree relatives, mom, dad, siblings, and then if they're exposed to more pollution, stress, smoking, unhealthy diet, unhealthy lifestyle, that can just accelerate that type of risk then.

Host: And what's something we could all do right now to have a healthier heart?

Reema Sheth, DO: I think taking it day by day, doing the best that you can in trying to live a healthier lifestyle is important. You know, it's hard and easier said than done, but regular exercise, diet, everything in moderation can really help really make a difference, especially with even a little bit of weight loss can make a huge difference. So, just taking it day by day and trying your best.

Host: Dr. Sheff, anything dealing with the heart can be stressful or cause fear in patients for sure. So how do you calm patients' fears? What's your approach?

Reema Sheth, DO: I think I like to start out with a conversation about what they are doing in their life that could be contributing to their risk, their lifestyle, their stress, their diet, their exercise, informing them the certain risks that could worsen their risk of coronary artery disease to help educate them. Also, what I like to do is not only educate and treat the patients, but also have the patients relay back to me the information that I've given them to make sure that they understand the techniques and plan going forward to help with their care.

Host: That's so smart because when you have to say it back and you can't remember, then you know, they don't know, and they know they don't know. So, that's a great plan, really.

Reema Sheth, DO: Exactly. Thank you.

Host: In any area, actually. Is there anything else in closing you'd like to add?

Reema Sheth, DO: I think there's risk for coronary artery disease, but with being aware and having the information at hand and following with a provider to help guide you through, we're here to help, and working on diet and exercise, avoiding risk factors like smoking and living a healthier lifestyle really makes a difference, but we're here to help. And if you need any guidance, we're happy to see you in our office.

Host: Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and your time with us today.

Reema Sheth, DO: No problem. Thank you so much for having me.

Host: Again, that's Dr. Reema Sheth. To learn more, please visit silvercross.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. I'm Maggie MacKay. Thanks for listening to this edition of Silver Cross Hospital's IMatter Health Podcast.