Cardiology

Cardiology Services

Services Provided and Information About Twin Hearts LLC

  • Same day visits are available for acute illness
  • New patients are welcome
  • Lab draw on-site with a small fee
  • We accept most major insurance plans
  • Management of chronic conditions
  • Spider vein and varicose vein treatment
  • EKG
  • Ankle-Brachial Index – ABI
  • Vascular ultrasound
  • Nuclear stress test

Our team of cardiologists works not only on treating cardiovascular diseases, but also provides consultation on prevention, and several diagnostic services such as: 

  • Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiography) – uses ultrasound waves to visualize the structure of the heart. This provides significant information on the morphology and function of the muscles of the heart, heart valves, dimensions of the heart cavity, and blood flow speed. 

  • 24-hour Holter EKG – noninvasive detection of heart activity through the skin of the chest. It uses standardized electrodes over a longer period of time. The patient comes to the clinic to apply the device, and after 24 hours of everyday activity comes back to the clinic to get results.
  • Pharmacologic stress test – one of the best methods for the discovery and monitoring of coronary diseases. It is recommended for people who cannot undergo a classic ergometry test due to bad physical health, severe hypertension, bone-muscle diseases with the elderly, diabetics, and so on. Because of its high sensitivity, this test is especially recommended for people who suffered through myocardial infarction or if they have any form of revascularization of coronary arteries.

Our team is here for you at all times, especially if you have acute problems that require a swift response.

Cardiologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

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High Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure should normally be less than 120/80 mm Hg if you are an adult age 20 or over. Some people think that those with high blood pressure are tense, nervous or hyperactive, but that is not true. You can be a calm, relaxed person and still have high blood pressure.

Blood clots form due to trapped blood and further narrow or block the arteries. These clots sometimes break off and travel in the arteries to a different part of the body. This leads to strokes or damage to the organ where the clots end up.

Cholesterol and plaque build-up at the damaged sites in the arteries cause the blood flow to become less or even stop completely. Heart attacks and strokes occur with complete blockage of the arteries in the heart or the brain.
When the arteries are not as elastic because of the build-up of cholesterol or plaque or because of scarring, the heart pumps harder to get blood into the arteries. Over time, this increased work can result in damage to the heart itself. The muscles and valves in the heart can become damaged and heart failure is the end result.
You may not feel that anything is wrong, but high blood pressure can permanently damage your heart, brain, eyes and kidneys before you feel anything. Yes, uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It’s often called “the silent killer” because high blood pressure has no symptoms.

Overstretching due to high blood pressure creates weak places in the blood vessels, making them more prone to rupture. Hemorrhagic strokes and aneurysms are caused by ruptures in the blood vessels.

Tiny tears form in the blood vessels that leave scar tissue on the walls of the arteries. These tears and the scar tissue are like nets that catch debris such as cholesterol and blood cells traveling in the bloodstream.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol may seem like it’s a bad thing to have in your body, but it’s not. Your body needs cholesterol to help your cells function correctly. But if you have too much, you raise your risk for serious health problems like heart disease — which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol is a component of the fats in your blood (lipids). When there is too much cholesterol in your body, these waxy fats clump together along the tubes that carry blood through your body. This can make it difficult for blood to flow through your body and can make it hard for your heart to get enough oxygen. If enough cholesterol sticks in an area, it can completely block arteries and cut off blood flow to important organs like the heart. This is what causes a heart attack.

In some cases, you may have been born with a family history of high cholesterol. That can significantly raise your risk of developing the problem. If you have a parent or sibling who developed heart disease before the age of 55, you could be at higher risk too.
Here are common conditions associated with high cholesterol that can be controlled:

  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • High-fat diet
  • High blood pressure
  • Lack of exercise
  • Diabetes

Testing for high cholesterol is as easy as drawing blood. You should not eat or drink anything but water 9-12 hours before your test for the most accurate results. The test to check your cholesterol levels is called a lipid panel or lipid profile. This test looks at the different components of lipids in your blood including:

  • HDL cholesterol
  • LDL cholesterol
  • Total cholesterol
  • Triglycerides

Your total cholesterol number should be 200 or below. HDL, LDL and triglycerides each have their own values and expected ranges.

Your provider will likely treat high cholesterol with medication. There are several drugs available that can treat your total cholesterol or one of its components. You should also follow a low-fat diet, exercise if you haven’t before and try to lose weight if needed. Always remember to ask your provider if it’s okay to begin a new diet or exercise plan before you start. Your provider will want to monitor your cholesterol levels regularly. Follow his or her recommendations on how often you should have it checked.

What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency “CVI”

Do you suffer from aching, itchy legs, or legs that burn, feel heavy or restless? Do you have spider veins or varicose veins? If so, you may be one of the millions of men and women who have venous insufficiency.

When your leg veins cannot pump enough blood back to your heart, you have chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). There are three kinds of veins: superficial veins, which lie close to the skin, deep veins, which lie in groups of muscles, and perforating veins, which connect the superficial to the deep veins. Deep veins lead to the vena cava, your body’s largest vein, which runs directly to your heart.

When you are sitting or standing, the blood in your leg veins must go up against gravity to return to your heart. To do this, your leg muscles squeeze the deep veins of your legs and feet to help move blood back to your heart. One-way flaps, called valves, in your veins keep blood flowing upwards. These valves prevent blood from flowing in reverse, back down the legs.

When you walk and your leg muscles squeeze, the venous system works well. But when you sit or stand, especially for a long time, the blood in your leg veins can pool and increase the venous blood pressure. Over time, this can weaken the walls of the veins and damage them.

Phlebitis occurs when a superficial or deep vein becomes swollen and inflamed. This inflammation causes a blood clot to form.

Factors that can increase your risk for CVI include a family history of varicose veins, being overweight, pregnancy, not exercising, smoking, and standing or sitting for long periods of time. Although CVI can affect anyone, your age and sex may increase your tendency to develop CVI; women older than 50 most often get CVI.

First your physician will ask you questions about your current general health, past medical history, and symptoms. In addition, your physician will conduct a physical exam. Together these are known as a patient history and exam. Your physician may measure the pressure in your legs and will examine the varicose veins. To confirm a diagnosis of CVI, the physician will order a duplex ultrasound test. Duplex ultrasound allows your physician to measure the speed of blood flow and to see the structure of your leg veins.

For mild cases of CVI, your physician will recommend compression stockings. These are elastic stockings that squeeze your veins and stop excess blood from flowing backward. In this way, compression stockings can also help heal skin sores and prevent them from returning. You need to wear compression stockings daily.

You can help avoid leg swelling and other symptoms by occasionally raising your legs and avoiding standing for long periods of time. When you do need to stand for a long period, you can flex your leg muscles occasionally to keep the blood flowing. You can also help lessen the symptoms of CVI by maintaining your ideal body weight or losing weight if you are overweight.

Sclerotherapy

In sclerotherapy, your physician will inject Polidocanol, a medicine approved by FDA, into your affected veins. This medicine scars your veins from the inside out so your abnormal veins can then no longer fill with blood. Blood that would normally return to the heart through these veins flows through other healthy veins. Your body will eventually absorb the veins that received the injection.

Ablation

Ablation uses a thin, flexible tube called a catheter inserted into a varicose vein. Following are the different methods of ablation:

  • The CoolTouch CTEV™ laser treatment uses 1320 nm wavelength which targets water in the vein wall and is ideal for closing the vein without damaging the surrounding tissues or nerves.
  • The ClosureFast procedure uses radiofrequency energy to deliver controlled and consistent heat to seal the diseased vein.
  • The VenaSeal closure system delivers a small amount of proprietary medical adhesive to the diseased vein. The adhesive seals the diseased vein.
  • Varithena® (polidocanol injectable foam) is a prescription medicine used to treat varicose veins caused by problems with the great saphenous vein and other related veins in the leg’s system.

Cardiologists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

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Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. It involves not only problems of the heart but the arteries as well.
As a person ages, it is increasingly important to live a lifestyle to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Having a healthy heart is a sure way to live a longer, richer life, and it can reduce the risk of other conditions such as a stroke.
Here are a few tips for healthy heart lifestyle:

Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat every day. Limit the amount of saturated fat (typically found in red meat and dairy products), trans fat (found in anything that includes the term “partially hydrogenated”), and cholesterol you consume. Eat more low-fat proteins including fish high in Omega-3 such as salmon and mackerel. Decrease the amount of sodium in your diet. And most importantly, limit your portions. This one may be the simplest and yet the hardest and can be done by limiting the time you spend dining out, putting less on your plate at home, and avoiding second helpings.

Proper exercise goes hand in hand with a healthy diet. Researchers have a 20% reduction in heart disease for those who engage in a steady workouts such as running, jogging, swimming, playing tennis or aerobics classes.

When trying to prevent heart disease, the best approach is a proactive one. Regular testing of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels can pinpoint areas of concern before they become a serious problem.

Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease. The chemicals found in tobacco damage the red blood cells and the wall of the blood vessels.

Excessive alcohol consumption should be equally avoided. It can increase blood pressure by forcing the heart to work harder and contributes to the growth of fat build-up in the arteries.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins of the body. Blood clots in veins most often occur in the lower legs, but they can also occur elsewhere in the body such as the arms. The most common cause of DVT is immobility. Sitting for long periods of time can make you more likely to get a DVT. Some hormones and clotting disorders may also increase your risk for DVT.Veins are the blood vessels that return blood back to your heart.

There are three different kinds of veins:

  • Superficial veins: These veins are close to the skin and may be visible.
  • Perforating veins: These veins connect the superficial veins to the deep veins.
  • Deep veins: These veins lead to the vena cava which runs directly to your heart.

Blood flows from the superficial veins into the deep venous system through perforator veins. A blood clot in the veins become life-threatening when a piece of the blood clot breaks off, travels through the heart and gets lodged in the lung. Diagnosis and treatment of a DVT is meant to prevent this from occurring.

The signs and symptoms of deep vein thrombosis may be related to DVT itself, or it can be a sign of a pulmonary embolism. Both of these conditions can cause serious, possibly life-threatening complications if not treated. About half of all DVT cases do not cause symptoms.

The most common symptoms of DVT are:

  • Swelling of the leg or along a vein in the leg
  • Pain or tenderness in the leg
  • Increased warmth in an area of the leg
  • Red or discolored skin on the leg

Deep vein thrombosis can usually be treated with medications or minimally invasive procedures.
The most common of these are:

  • Medications: Prescription blood thinners – also called anticoagulants – are often the first step in treating DVT. These medications are used to prevent blood clots from forming, and old ones from getting larger.
  • Clot busters: When other blood thinners fail to treat the condition, other medications, known as thrombolytics, are given in life-threatening situations.
  • Filters: If you are unable to take blood thinners, a filter may be inserted into the vena cava to prevent blots that break loose from lodging in the lungs.
    Compression stockings: To help prevent swelling, stockings are often worn on the legs from the feet to the knees to increase circulation.

Our Offices

N. Military Trail

2900 N. Military Trail, Suite 150
Boca Raton FL 33431

1.561.241.4210

Meadows Road

801 Meadows Road, Suite 105
Boca Raton FL 33486

1.561.392.2021

Office Hours

Monday – 08:30 AM – 04:00 PM

Tuesday – 08:30 AM – 04:00 PM

Wednesday – 08:30 AM – 04:00 PM

Thursday – 08:30 AM – 04:00 PM

Friday – 08:30 AM – 04:00 PM

Patient Feedback

I was very nervous and felt that the doctor was very understanding. He took time to explain all the details of the valve surgery and guided me. My family and I can’t thank him enough.

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Wonderful doctor, very thorough and great diagnostician. Besides being one of the best doctors I ever went to, he is a kind person and will spend time with you.

Grateful Patient

He has helped my father and mother for many years. Both have heart problems and need lot of attention. They visit many other doctors as well. Dr. Sheikh always takes time to go over their records and list of all their medication. I highly recommend him for his expertise.

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