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Media Tip Sheet – February

Know Your Numbers Baltimore
Some numbers are more important than others when it comes to your heart. For most people, the essential numbers to know include total cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight or body mass index measurement. To take care of your heart, the Heart Center at Sinai has put together some key numbers and how they impact your overall health:

Cholesterol
For patients with good health and a low risk of heart disease, a total cholesterol reading of 200 or lower is normal.

Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the largest risk factor for stroke. Numbers to know include:
high blood pressure – 140/90 and over; high blood pressure for diabetics – 130/80; and normal blood pressure – 120/80 and under.

Body Mass Index
The body mass index (BMI) formula measures weight relative to height. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, you should shoot for a score between 18.5 and 24.9. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese, are generally 30 pounds or more overweight, and are at an even higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Knowing the numbers that dictate your heart health will allow you to make smart choices today and as you age, particularly because age itself is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Even if you think you're heart healthy, it's best to check with a doctor to be sure. Experts from the Heart Center at Sinai are available to speak more about what numbers you should be concerned about.

Changing the Way Doctors Treat Heart Disease
Paul A. Gurbel, M.D., director of the Center for Thrombosis Research at Sinai Hospital, is conducting research in the area of platelet aggregation, or stickiness. The clumping together of platelets is the main reason blood clots develop, causing heart attacks; strokes; and the blocking of coronary artery stents, which are small plastic tubes inserted into a vein to channel blood away from the damaged tissue.

There are only two approved blood-thinning medications, aspirin and Plavix (clopidogrel), and Gurbel questioned why so many patients had thrombosis (blood clots). After significant research and double blind trials, Gurbel uncovered that Plavix (clopidogrel) does not work the same in all patients. In fact, nearly 30 percent were completely non-responsive to the most commonly used dose of the drug.

Gurbel is available to speak about the groundbreaking research taking place at Sinai Hospital and its far-reaching effects for patients being treated with coronary heart disease worldwide.

Up In Smoke
Did you know the immediate health benefits of quitting smoking are substantial? Heart rate and blood pressure, which are abnormally high while smoking, begin to return to normal. And within a few hours, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood begins to decline.

Experts from the cardiopulmonary program at Northwest Hospital are available to speak about the dangers of smoking and reasons to quit, and explain some of the reasons why more than 400,000 deaths in United States are from smoking-related illnesses each year.

Computerized-Assisted Knee Surgery
More than 300,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In the past, a skilled surgeon did this procedure almost immediately. However, now computers are giving doctors in the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics "a knee up” over traditional total knee replacements surgery.

During computer-assisted surgery, a model of the knee is developed using information taken from a special instrument that outlines the contour of the knee. This image is projected onto a monitor and helps guide the surgeon's attachment of the artificial implant to the bone. Along with the surgeon's skill and experience, computer-assisted surgery provides an internal view for more precise alignment of the implant, which can contribute to the long-term success of the total knee replacement. The computers also help doctors who use smaller incisions instead of the traditional larger openings, which offer the potential for less bleeding and less pain resulting in a faster recovery.

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