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Can You Die From a Broken Heart?

Every person, at some point in their lives or another, is likely to experience heartbreak at least once. Whether brought on by a bad breakup, the death of a loved one, a grave financial loss, or a serious accident, heartbreak is a part of human life. This emotional stress may lead to a heart condition known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or Broken Heart Syndrome, often called Stress-Induced Cardiomyopathy.

Predominantly affecting female patients between 58 and 75, this temporary condition was first classified in Japan in 1990. Although most people with broken hearts recover without heart damage, broken heart syndrome treatment is not yet standardized. High-stress situations or drastic surges in stress hormones trigger this condition, warranting further exploration. Additionally, physical or emotional stress can trigger the condition, leading to a surge in stress hormones.

Characteristics of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

According to Harvard Medical School, “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, usually as the result of severe emotional or physical stress like a sudden illness, the death of a loved one, or a natural disaster.” During takotsubo syndrome, the left ventricle experiences abnormal movements and apical ballooning syndrome. However, the rest of the heart muscle continues to function normally or even contracts vigorously. Symptoms of broken heart include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, resembling a heart attack.

Stress cardiomyopathy often leads patients to believe they are experiencing a heart attack. An electrocardiogram (ECG) may show irregular heartbeats like those seen in heart attacks. However, the coronary angiogram of patients shows that the coronary arteries are not blocked, unlike in traditional heart attacks. Persistent chest pain should always be considered seriously because it could signal an actual heart attack.

Chest Pain and Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

Stress cardiomyopathy frequently causes changes in electrocardiograms (ECGs) similar to those seen in heart attacks. Patients with this syndrome often experience sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, which can be mistaken for a heart attack. However, unlike heart attacks, patients’ coronary arteries are not blocked. Nonetheless, any persistent chest pain requires immediate medical attention.

Stress Cardiomyopathy and Its Causes

The exact cause of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is not yet fully understood, but it’s believed to be triggered by a flood of stress hormones that affect the heart. This hormonal surge disrupts blood flow and impacts the left ventricle’s ability to contract. Women past menopause are particularly vulnerable.

Intense emotional events that can precede broken heart syndrome include:

• Domestic violence
• Financial hardship
• Divorce or difficult breakup
• Death, illness, or injury of a loved one
• Public speaking
• Serious accident
• Physically demanding events

In rare cases, certain medications can cause a surge in stress hormones, potentially triggering Broken Heart Syndrome.

Heart Attack vs. Broken Heart Syndrome

While stress cardiomyopathy often resembles a heart attack due to sudden chest pain and irregular heartbeats, there is a key difference between the two. In heart attacks, blood clots can lead to blocked coronary arteries, contrasting with Broken Heart Syndrome where such blockages do not occur. In a heart attack, blocked coronary arteries prevent adequate blood flow, causing damage to the heart muscle. In Broken Heart Syndrome, a coronary angiogram shows no blocked arteries, and the heart muscle is only temporarily weakened.

Risks, Complications, and Treatment

Heartbroken syndrome risk factors include age, with those over 50 facing a higher risk. Women, especially Asian and Caucasian post-menopausal women, have a higher risk. Medical history of neurological disorders, like epilepsy, or psychiatric disorders like depression, increases the likelihood of heart syndrome. Other risk factors include emotional or physical stress.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy can occasionally lead to fatal complications like heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, or pulmonary edema. Although most people recover in a few weeks, broken heart syndrome diagnosed may reoccur with another stressful event.

Treatment for broken heart often includes prescribing medication like beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or diuretics. These help prevent heart failure and reduce stress. In cases of atherosclerosis, aspirin may also be used. Patients can work with a healthcare team specializing in cardiac rehabilitation and stress management to prevent broken heart syndrome.

If you suspect you are at risk or have symptoms, reach out to an interventional cardiologist like Dr. Beheshtian at Avicenna Cardiology. She offers comprehensive care to prevent broken heart syndrome and will work with you to identify and reduce the stress that could cause takotsubo syndrome or worse outcomes like a worse prognosis.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome)

NYC, Chronic Stress, and Taking care of your Heart and Vascular System:

At Avicenna cardiology, we practice in NYC, and it will come as no surprise that a significant portion of our patients are undergoing various forms of chronic stress.  Take a demanding job, often self-imposed expectations of a picture-perfect social life or relationship, and tack on anything else from family to money to, of course, health, and you have a recipe for chronic stress.   Now, not all stress is bad…in fact, stress is a a natural response to challenges and adversity (think: Flight or Flight) and isn’t always a bad thing. However, when it becomes chronic and unrelenting, it can have serious consequences on our health – including the development and worsening of vascular diseases.

Vascular diseases encompass a wide range of conditions affecting the blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and stroke. These conditions can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into how chronic stress can lead to vascular diseases, even in individuals who appear otherwise healthy, and explore strategies for managing stress and safeguarding vascular health.   These generally have a few things in common:  1.) they start “small” 2.) they get worse over time at a slow but persistent rate and 3.) without the ongoing diagnostic care of a cardiologist, they don’t usually get better, in fact, the outcome can be fatal.    The good news:  many of the warning signs can be seen early on, and can be treated through a variety of methods, or completely reversed.

Understanding Stress, and the difference between Acute and Chronic Stress:

While early man may have required the adrenaline response for a variety of very good reasons (contributing to us being around to write and read this today!), acute stress is very different from chronic stress, which I’m willing to bet is more prevalent today than back then, but of course, that’s just one woman’s guess.  The ongoing presence of stress driving the aforementioned response in various forms (though generally manifesting itself in a constant state of alertness) can lead to a range of physical and psychological health problems.

The Link Between Stress and Vascular Disease:

When the body experiences stress, it releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones cause an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. While these changes are helpful in dealing with short-term stressors, they can be harmful if sustained over long periods. Chronic stress can lead to inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction – all of which contribute to the development of vascular diseases.  How?  Simple, they all create inflammation, and the body responds to that inflammation.

Inflammation is a key player in the development of atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. Similarly, oxidative stress can damage the cells lining the blood vessels, leading to endothelial dysfunction – a precursor to hypertension and other vascular diseases. The cumulative effect of these factors makes stress a silent but potent contributor to vascular disease.

While exercise contributes to a healthier vascular system, it alone is no match for irregular or insufficient sleep, the impacts of chronic stress, or a work-hard, play-hard pattern of behavior.   Worse still, it is easy for people who are in these aforementioned groups to rationalize their semi-regular cycles of stress inducing behavior as “temporary”, only to find that an honest assessment of their last few years, and likely next few years, will not have a significantly different profile in terms of chronic stressors.  In fact, the advent of a family, illness of elderly family, job relocation, etc. can all make matters worse than the “current baseline” being experienced.  Finally, behaviors such as smoking cigarettes, excessive alcohol consumption, or a sedentary job (behind a desk for more than 6 hours a day) all exacerbate the effects of stress on vascular disease.  These factors all increase the risk of inflammation, oxidative dress, and endothelial dysfunction.

Not all is lost…in the hands of knowledgeable care providers, you can understand your current level of risk, develop a plan for managing it through a variety of proven methods, and intervene early and often to have an objective understanding of your vascular health, and the impacts that your environment has either had, or is having on a system that is fragile, despite its beautiful complexity and fascinating mechanics.

At Avicenna Cardiology, we perform a variety of tests that are nearly always covered by insurance plans (we take most), and within days you can learn where you stand today, and how we can help you have a healthier tomorrow.

For the past several months, much of the world has faced the harsh reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), COVID-19 can result in several severe pulmonary and cardiovascular complications. Approximately 8 million people in the United States have been infected with the novel coronavirus as of the time of this article, which has been fatal for approximately 220,000 people.  Further, in the state of New York, we’ve seen approximately 484,000 cases resulting in approximately 33,000 deaths.

Although COVID-19 generally causes critical illness, multiorgan dysfunction, and systemic inflammation, “the list of lingering maladies from COVID-19 is longer and more varied than most doctors could have imagined. Ongoing problems include fatigue, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, achy joints, foggy thinking, a persistent loss of sense of smell, and damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.”^[1] In short, in those who have recovered from COVID-19, regardless of the duration of severity of their illness, many are experiencing complex, difficult to diagnose conditions that cut across multiple systems of the human body.

Myocardial Injury and Myocarditis

In the past, infectious diseases like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been linked to myocardial (heart muscle) injury and myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle that can cause arrhythmias, blood clots, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, death). Such viruses have been found to elevate troponin levels, and troponin is a group of proteins found in the bloodstream after muscle damage has occurred. COVID-19 related troponin elevation — which has averaged between 20 and 30 percent — has been associated with cardiac physiological distress, direct myocardial injury, or hypoxia.  This means that without an event of heart attack, troponin levels in the bloodstream indicate some form of heart stress or heart muscle damage.

Acute myocarditis (heart inflammation) poses a significant diagnostic challenge for the COVID-19 pandemic because clinical severity can vary so significantly. Symptoms can range from chest pain, dyspnea, dysrhythmia, and acute left ventricular dysfunction. Nevertheless, “ECG and echocardiographic abnormalities in the setting of COVID-19 are markers of illness severity and are correlated with worse outcomes.”^[2] Furthermore, in patients infected with COVID-19, elevated troponin levels have been directly linked to a high risk of adverse outcomes, includinig death.

Numerous studies have determined that between 7 and 17 percent of patients hospitalized with the novel coronavirus have experienced myocardial injury with increased troponin levels. Of those patients, between 22 and 31 percent required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Moreover, a study of 150 patients conducted in Wuhan, China, the location of COVID-19’s first appearance, found that as many as 7 percent of COVID-19 related fatalities were caused by myocarditis.

Acute Myocardial Infarction

Due to the extensive inflammation and increased frequency of blood clotting that result from COVID-19, these patients are likely at risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). The cardiac enzymes troponin and creatine kinase may leak out of the heart and into the blood due to heart cells damaged by this virus. And elevated levels of such enzymes presented in blood tests identify heart trouble, specifically a heart attack.  This is why blood tests are especially important, and among the specialists a cardiologist is best suited to review the results.

Acute Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy

Acute heart failure can be the initial presenting symptom of coronavirus infection, exhibited by as many as 24 percent of patients.

Nearly half of those who experience COVID-19 related heart failure did not previously have a history of high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease.

Additionally, cardiomyopathy (a disease affecting the heart muscle) is the primary presenting symptom of COVID-19 in as many as 33 percent of patients. However, it is currently not clear if COVID-19 related heart failure results from new cardiomyopathy in patients or aggravation of historically undiagnosed heart failure.

Dysrhythmias

More than 7 percent of COVID-19 infected patients may experience palpitations, all at varying degrees of severity. However, sinus tachycardia is often seen in COVID-19 patients due to numerous, simultaneous ailments, including anxiety, fever, hypoxia, and hypoperfusion. And the existence of dysrhythmias, in conjunction with a viral illness, can typically be attributed to abnormal metabolism, hypoxia, and inflammatory stress.

One particular study, conducted in Wuhan, China, found the presence of dysrhythmias in 17 percent of hospitalized patients infected with the novel coronavirus, and 44 percent of COVID-19 ICU patients. When treating COVID-19 patients who experience dysrhythmias resulting from increased troponin levels, it is essential to consider the possible existence of acute coronary syndrome, acute myocarditis, and myocardial injury.

Venous Thromboembolic Event

The risk of venous thromboembolic events is exacerbated for those infected with the novel coronavirus. Potential contributing factors for this elevated risk include abnormal coagulation status, critical illness, multiorgan dysfunction, and systemic inflammation. Several studies propose severe coagulation pathway abnormalities in COVID-19 patients, such as D-dimer — a level that indicates the considerable presence of blood clot formation and breakdown within the body. D-dimer levels that exceed 1 ug/mL have been correlated to an elevated risk of fatality during hospitalization for patients infected with COVID-19. In particular, one study demonstrates that anti-coagulation may be linked with lowered mortality in grave coronavirus infections, or in those with D-dimer over six times the standard limit.

Cardiovascular Medication Interactions

Several of the newly presented medications for COVID-19 treatment interact substantially with numerous cardiovascular drugs. Specifically, anti-hypertensives, antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, anti-platelets, and statins, have been found to interact with many of the current medications used to treat coronavirus patients’ antivirals, antimalarials, azithromycin, corticosteroids, and biologics. For example, Lopinavir/Ritovanir interacts with anticoagulants, antiplatelets, antiarrhythmics, and statins, which leads to QT and PR prolongation. On the other hand, Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine interact with antiarrhythmics, potentially causing myocardial toxicity, worsening cardiomyopathy, or altering cardiac construction. Before changing any of your medications or discontinuing them, consult a cardiologist who understands your medical condition.

Long-Term Effects

The novel coronavirus can effectively ravage the heart, leaving multiple cardiac complications in its wake. If this virus directly invades heart cells, it can cause permanent damage or destruction — and the extensive inflammation that results from COVID-19 can significantly affect heart function. Moreover, this virus can debilitate ACE2 receptors, which help safeguard heart cells and lower angiotensin II — a hormone that contributes to hypertension—and fighting COVID-19 places enormous amounts of stress on the body, provoking adrenaline and epinephrine release, which can also harm heart health.

How well and how fast the heart heals in the aftermath of COVID-19 infection may determine an irregular heartbeat’s existence or persistence. And although many coronavirus patients had preexisting conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, patients who lack any apparent risk factors have also exhibited cardiac abnormalities. One study published in JAMA Cardiology in July 2020 found that 78 of 100 COVID-19 patients, many of whom were previously in excellent health, presented heart irregularities when evaluated ten weeks post-recovery, typically heart muscle inflammation.

The Importance of Following Up with a Cardiologist

Patients with heart disease are encouraged to keep in contact with their doctors during this COVID-19 pandemic, carefully complying with medication to keep their heart condition under control. And if they happen to contract the coronavirus, they should, without a doubt, request a follow-up exam with their cardiologist after they recover from the virus to establish any further heart damage that may have occurred. Furthermore, patients without known heart conditions or cardiovascular disease should also follow up with a cardiologist. Symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain that remain after recovery could be linked to COVID-19 related lung or heart damage.

With the help of a skilled and experienced medical professional, individuals can better understand the effects that COVID-19 has had on their heart, and the best ways to address and manage any resulting heart damage. Dr. Beheshtian is an interventional cardiologist who has treated thousands of patients in New York and elsewhere. She is extremely knowledgeable about treatment paths for various types of cases, mild or complex. Please feel free to contact Avicenna Cardiology’s office with any questions or to make your appointment today.

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) test is a simple, non-invasive test that serves to assist healthcare providers in determining whether or not a patient has developed peripheral vascular disease (PVD). In its simplest form, this test allows physicians to assess just how well a patient’s blood is flowing. “No special preparations are needed for an ankle-brachial index test. The test is painless and similar to getting [one’s] blood pressure taken in a routine visit to [a] doctor.” Quick and easy, this 15-minute test can save a patient’s life, helping them to avoid blood clots, heart attack, and stroke — all of which can result from PVD.

An ABI test can help doctors to diagnose PVD, preventing the disease’s progression, as well as any associated complications. Furthermore, ABI tests are an effective method of identifying individuals who may be high-risk for coronary artery disease.

What is Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)?

In patients with PVD, a significant amount of plaque builds up in the arteries. A blood circulation disorder, PVD causes the blood vessels, particularly those located outside of the brain and heart, to spasm, narrow, or even block. Most commonly affecting the blood vessels that bring blood to the body’s lower limbs, PVD can significantly limit blood flow. As a result, the limbs may not receive all of the oxygen that they require. This disease can result in severe leg pain and fatigue when walking, climbing stairs, or exercising, as well as numbness. PVD can also elevate a patient’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Unfortunately, PVD is a quite prevalent disease — affecting around 10% of individuals over the age of 55. And not all PAD patients show exhibit symptoms, making the ABI test even more crucial.

However, there are several lifestyle choices, behaviors, medical characteristics, etc. that can increase a patient’s risk of PVD — including, but not limited to:

• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Hypertension, or high blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Being over 70 years of age
• Atherosclerosis, or restricted blood flow in other areas of the body
• Abnormal pulses in the lower limbs

What Occurs Before and During the ABI Test?

Before an ABI test, it is standard procedure for patients to rest for a period of between 15 and 30 minutes. Nevertheless, some individuals might be required to walk on a treadmill immediately before and after an ABI test. Exercise ABI tests allow physicians to better assess the severity of narrowed arteries during physical activity, like walking. It is important to note that the range of results of an exercise ABI test may differ from the standard ABI test.

During an ABI test, a patient lies down on their back. Then, “a technician takes [their] blood pressure in both… arms using an inflatable cuff, similar to the one used in the doctor’s office,” and a handheld ultrasound device. By utilizing sound waves to generate images, this ultrasound device enables the technician to listen to the blood flow through the vessel following the deflation of the cuff. Next, the technician measures the blood pressure in the patient’s ankles. Using these blood pressure values, the technician can calculate the patient’s ABI.

To calculate ABI, a health care provider divides the blood pressure value in an artery of the ankle by the blood pressure value of an artery in the arm. If the resulting ratio equals less than 0.9, the patient may have developed PVD.

What Occurs Following the ABI Test?

Following an ABI test, individuals should be able to return to normal activities. However, an individual must follow up with their doctor regarding the results of this test. Follow-up testing, like an MRI or an arteriogram, may be required in some cases so that physicians may gather more information regarding a blocked vessel.

If an ABI test determines that an individual does have PVD, treatment may be required. Treatment options for PVD might include:

• Addressing diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol
• Quitting smoking
• Maintaining a physically active lifestyle
• Sticking to a healthy diet
• Undergoing procedures, like angioplasty, to restore blood flow
• Taking a prescription which aims to boost blood flow to the legs or helps to avert blood clots

Risks

Although some may feel some temporary discomfort as a result of the blood pressure cuff inflating on their arm or ankle, this test should not present any risks for most individuals. However, patients that have a blood clot one of their legs are not advised to undergo an ABI test. And for individuals experiencing dramatic leg pain, healthcare providers may suggest an alternative imaging test of the legs’ arteries.

Results and Next Steps

According to the ABI calculated, doctors are better equipped to treat their patients and can determine if further testing is required. For example, an ABI ranging from 1.0 to 1.4 indicates that a patient most likely does not have PVD. However, if a patient does exhibit symptoms consistent with PVD, it may be necessary to perform an exercise ABI test. Moreover, an ABI ranging from 0.91 to 0.99 can indicate borderline PVD. In this instance, a physician may also require an exercise ABI test. And an ABI of under 0.90 is considered abnormal and signifies a high likelihood of PVD. Additional testing, like an angiogram or ultrasound, may be requested by a healthcare provider, allowing them to better view the arteries in their patient’s lower limbs.

In patients with diabetes or significant blockages, technicians might need to perform a toe-brachial index test instead of an ABI test to get the most accurate reading. In such cases, patients may need to make lifestyle changes, take certain medications, or undergo surgery.

Visit Dr. Beheshtian for an ABI Test

With the help of a skilled and experienced medical professional, individuals can proactively address their cardiovascular health and prevent hardening of the arteries, blood clots, heart attack, stroke, etc. Dr. Beheshtian is an interventional cardiologist who has treated over 1000 patients in New York and elsewhere. She is extremely knowledgeable about treatment paths for various types of cases, mild or complex.

Please feel free to contact Avicenna Cardiology’s office with any questions or to schedule your ABI test. Dr. Beheshtian will work with you to create a care plan, address lifestyle changes, and help you to monitor your overall heart health!

Most adults, regardless of their profession, work during the day. And the majority of doctors’ office hours mirror those of their patients. When compared with competing Western industrialized nations, access to after-hours care — which “refers to care for medical problems arising between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., and on weekends and holidays, that could be appropriately managed by the patient’s primary care physician/team” — is quite poor in the United States. Most doctors in the U.S. are only available to see and treat patients during average work and school hours. And on top of this, increasing numbers of physicians have begun to cut back on working hours as they close in on retirement or burn out.

For many people and parents, taking time off of work to attend a doctor’s appointment for either themselves or their child can be incredibly difficult. And in some cases, conflicting office hours are used as an excuse to skip doctor’s visits altogether. Patients tend to allow unabating procrastination to take over. However, if doctors were to keep their offices open during evening hours and on the weekends, it would be significantly less stressful for patients to get the emergency, maintenance, and preventive care that they need. Catering to the working family is critical. More convenient office hours would allow patients to visit their physicians outside of demanding work and school schedules.

Results of Inaccessibility to Routine Health Care Services

The outcomes of a lack of access to routine health care services are quite adverse. Nevertheless, inaccessibility to after-hours medical care persists. An examination of the 2010 Health Tracking Household Survey found that one in five individuals experienced difficulty when attempting to reach their clinicians after-hours. And a lack of after-hours medical care often results in more emergency cases and less preventive care for patients. But “those who reported less difficulty contacting a clinician after hours had significantly fewer emergency department visits (30.4 percent compared to 37.7 percent) and lower rates of unmet medical need (6.1 percent compared to 13.7 percent) than people who experienced more difficulty.” Thus, after-hours medical care can eliminate costly, nonurgent emergency room visits and encourage consistent preventive care.

More Emergency Cases

More and more individuals are utilizing emergency rooms for nonurgent, after-hours care. Unfortunately, limited office hours often cause many patients to push their pain thresholds, waiting until they experience unbearable discomfort before seeking medical attention. And as a result of intolerable pain, many people choose to visit urgent care facilities or hospital emergency rooms for medical care. Not only is doing so typically much more costly than a doctor’s office visit, but it also contributes to the inefficient use of emergency medical resources.

Many of the complaints that commonly appear in emergency rooms, such as stomach aches, abdominal pain, headache, fever, and cough, can be easily treated by primary care physicians. But when these health problems arise outside of regular business hours — most typically between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. — an emergency room visit is often the only option. Offering after-hours care, including telehealth access and extended office hours, can help eradicate many financially burdensome emergency room trips. Additionally, practices that offer patients extended office hours have a higher likelihood of offering same-day appointments, providing patients with even more improved accessibility, and helping to reduce the number of nonurgent emergency cases. At Avicenna Cardiology, Dr. Beheshtian is committed to serving patients and our offices are open evenings and weekends.

Less Preventive Care

Limited doctor’s office hours make it easier for individuals to choose to forgo routine check-ups and physicals examinations. Rates of preventive care are significantly low nationwide, the most common reason being a lack of time spent on office visits. But consistent primary care, regardless of the hours during which doctor’s office visits occur, often results in improved outcomes for patients. Preventive services can eat up a lot of physician time. With after-hours access, whether by telehealth or in-person appointment, allows for the implementation of greater and more consistent preventive care measures. Moreover, the continuity of extended hours can potentially minimize the fragmentation of care, as well as lower rates of unmet health care needs.

Health Care is a Service Industry

Although doctors are certainly also juggling their professional and personal lives, health care providers must begin to accommodate their patients and their schedules better. Some physicians have already instituted limited hours and days of operation, only making it more difficult for patients to fit doctor’s office visits into their busy lives. In order for health care to become more broadly accessible to individuals, doctors must make themselves more accessible, thus we are open evenings and weekends. Physicians who only make themselves available to patients during regular work hours represent a quite antiquated service model. Maintaining office hours beyond the standard workweek of Monday through Friday will cater to a more substantial majority of individuals. To most effectively and efficiently administer health care, medical professionals must work to treat and assist patients when, where, and how they require it.

Extended Hours with Telehealth

Health IT and connected health can empower healthcare organizations to overcome the barriers of expanding office hours. Telehealth enables patients to seek out medical advice and assistance without requiring them to attend an in-person visit. Thus, telehealth allows individuals to receive medical care outside of the constraints of an office schedule. By manipulating office hours, as well as staggering out appointments, patients can receive health care services when most convenient for them. And healthcare organizations and doctor’s offices that implement telehealth offices and work to accommodate patients’ schedules are likely to experience more patient access.

After-Hours Care at Avicenna Cardiology

With the help of a skilled and experienced medical professional, individuals can receive high-quality preventive care and work to avoid emergency medical events. Dr. Beheshtian is an interventional cardiologist who has treated over 1000 patients in New York and elsewhere. She is extremely knowledgeable about treatment paths for various types of cases, mild or complex. Please feel free to contact Avicenna Cardiology’s office with any questions. Telehealth and in-person appointments can be scheduled either over the phone or on our website! Dr. Beheshtian offers extended office hours, accommodating each patient’s busy schedule, and is is committed to being open evenings and weekends. Avicenna Cardiology is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., as well as Saturday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.