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Click here for the brochure — Take Heart: A Comprehensive Approach to Cardiovascular Disease

If you or someone you know has heart disease, you’re not alone. More than 60 million Americans are coping with some form of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease affects men, women and children regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity. It is the leading cause of death and disability in this country and claims the lives of more than 2,600 people every day. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease claims more lives each year than the next seven leading causes of death combined.

What are your chances of developing heart disease? And if you’ve already been diagnosed with a heart condition, how do you manage your illness and return to an active lifestyle?

South Miami Heart Center takes a comprehensive approach toward the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Our physicians and staff are committed to providing the highest standards in patient care and customer service. In addition to preventative, diagnostic and treatment, we also offer cardiac rehabilitation services and education for our patients and the community.

For more information, call South Miami Heart Center at 786-662-5050, or email us at smhc@baptisthealth.net. For a referral with a South Miami Heart Center physician, call 786-662-2222. Outside Miami-Dade County, call 1-866-860-8174.

Here is a list of the services we offer:

Heart Attack Unit — The Heart Attack Unit at South Miami Hospital’s Emergency Center provides state-of-the-art treatment to patients with heart attack symptoms. Following guidelines from the American College of Cardiologists and the American Heart Association, the heart attack team strives to assess the problem and get patients the interventional care they need within 90 minutes of arrival in the Emergency Center. This round-the-clock commitment to care is provided by emergency room physicians, interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and nurses who are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Diagnostic Services Angiography — Sometimes called arteriography, angiography uses X-ray images and contrast dye to study blood flow in the arteries. An angiogram, the X-ray picture that is made, can be used to examine almost any artery or vein, including those in the heart, head, kidneys, lungs or other organs.

Disease processes such as arterial blockage, vein blockage, clots in arteries or veins or vascular malformations can be treated with a variety of techniques that include angioplasty, stents, clot-busting drugs or blockage of abnormal vessels.

Cardiac Catheterization — Using X-ray images, a catheter (a long, narrow, flexible tube) is placed into a blood vessel in the arm or groin, and then threaded into the heart's arteries and heart valves to find any blockages in blood flow.

Cardiac and Vascular Radiology, including MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computed Tomography) Angiography — Imaging techniques that provide "3 dimensional pictures" of how the cardiovascular system is working or to detect atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the artery. Using magnetic fields and radiofrequency coils, remarkably detailed cross-sectional images of the body can be obtained to help diagnose patients with suspected blood flow problems. Unlike the standard angiogram, an MRI only takes about 15 to 20 minutes and has no recovery time because the exam is noninvasive.

Cardiovascular Rehabilitation — is a medically supervised program designed to reduce the risk of recurring coronary artery disease and to improve overall health. Participants learn to follow an exercise plan with weights, treadmills and other cardiovascular equipment; improve their diet; quit smoking; reduce stress; and generally take control of their health – all with the warm, expert support of our medical team, which includes advanced cardiac life support-certified nurses, exercise physiologists and nutrition educators. Click here for more information.

CT Angiogram — New high-speed CT scan that detects heart problems before symptoms develop. The CT scan produces images of the coronary arteries that measure calcium build-up, a key sign of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The results of the study are interpreted by the program’s physicians.

Echocardiography – An echocardiogram is a test that uses sound waves (ultrasound) to obtain images of your heart. A small device, called a transducer is moved across the chest and provides images of the inside of the heart. The images are recorded on videotape and are reviewed by a cardiologist.

Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) — A recording of electrical currents produced by the beating heart.

Exercise Tolerance Testing (Stress Test) — A measurement of the heart's response under the stress of physical activity, such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. An EKG is taken before, during and after exercise. This test may also be performed in combination with a nuclear scan in which a small amount of a radioactive substance, called thallium, is injected into the bloodstream. A special camera scans the heart, creating detailed images of blood flow. For people unable to exercise, a medication that mimics the heart's reaction to exercise can be given. This is called a Pharmacological Exercise Tolerance Test. Echocardiography can also be used to image the heart during a stress test.

Heart Monitoring — Electrodes are connected to a portable monitor which records continuous readings of the heart's electrical activity. Patients conduct normal daily activities and keep a diary of dates, times and symptoms during the monitoring period. The monitor is about the size of a camera and is attached to a shoulder strap and worn by the patient for various lengths of time, ranging from 12-24 hours.

Noninvasive Vascular Studies, including Carotid Imaging and Peripheral Arterial/Venous Studies — Painless diagnostic techniques using ultrasound to record size, motion, blood flow and composition of the veins and arteries.

Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) — A special transducer is placed down the patient's esophagus to obtain detailed images of the heart using ultrasound.

Reducing Your Risk Of Heart And Circulatory Disease

For more information about your risk for heart and circulatory disease, click here.

Your circulatory system is a complex network of arteries and veins. The arteries carry blood from your heart to supply your body with the oxygen and nutrients needed for you to live. Veins return the blood to your heart and lungs. The heart keeps the blood pumping through this network called the vascular system (also known as the cardiovascular system). Roadblocks anywhere along this amazing highway of thousands of miles of veins and arteries will cause health problems, including heart attack, blood clots, severe leg pain, limb amputation, high blood pressure and stroke. More than 60 million Americans have health problems related to heart and circulatory disorders. In the United States, cardiovascular disease causes more deaths than all other causes of death combined for both men and women. Although many things are still unknown, research continues to answer questions about cardiovascular disease. We are able to point conclusively to several conditions and habits that increase our chances of having cardiovascular disease. We call these risk factors.

Risk factors can be broken down into two categories:

Risk Factors That Can Be Modified:
Abnormal cholesterol levels, diabetes or insulin resistance, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and high stress level. These are risks to your health that have been found to be directly related to cardiovascular disease and other problems.

Risk Factors That Can’t Be Modified:
Family or personal history of cardiovascular disease, gender and advanced age. In addition to these risk factors, many people who have heart disease may have circulatory problems, and those with circulatory problems have a higher risk of developing heart disease. This booklet addresses risk factors that can be modified to help you gain control of your health.