The treatment of atrial fibrillation continues to encompass a greater percentage of my practice. Sometimes I feel less like a cardiologist and more like an afib-ologist. The persistently rapid growth of this disease in our population boggles my mind. Really folks, this is not hyperbole; this is fact. Like all things cardiac, the focus is […]
What do I think of the recent data on dietary fish oil supplements? Two hints: Think “free lunch.” And this: “What your grandmother knew to be true is still true…” I hope you head over to In the Prime/Voices and take a look at my take of the recent news concerning yet another cracked pillar […]
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What is cyclocross?
A lot of people ask about cyclocross. What is it exactly? You ride a bike where? And you jump off and run? I’ve tried to explain the sport with words. That’s a tall order. Words hardly do it justice. Through the magic of social media and YouTube, I found a defining video capture. It happened […]
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Post Election Blues
I am writing this immediately after awakening on Wednesday morning. I am sad. Not about the results. As a political agnostic, I’m going to work as I do every day. There won’t be any major changes. I’ll listen, exam, teach, ablate and implant evidence-based devices. Perhaps in the coming months, the 10-minute procedure will require […]
As I plodded along the cyclcocross track today a heckler shouted: “Hey Mandrola….blog about this.” By ‘this,’ I can only assume he meant how cool our sport is. He surely wasn’t heckling a doctor about a lackluster performance. Alright then. Mr. Heckler said blog on. —- A few weeks ago I received a tweet asking […]
There was good news today in the atrial fibrillation world. Though no surprise to heart rhythm doctors, an FDA investigation reveals no evidence that new cases of bleeding are any higher with dabigatran (Pradaxa) than with warfarin. The full statement from the FDA is here. The assessment was undertaken because after approval of the novel […]
Tonight, let’s talk a little about ‘normal.’ Nearly every weekend in the fall, during cyclocross season, I line up with a cadre of other men who look as though they desperately need to “eat a sandwich.” You look around for calm and all you see are ribs and hip bones poking through spandex. Seriously, these […]
I am pleased to publish a guest post from friend and colleague, Dr. William Dillon, an interventional cardiologist in Louisville Kentucky. (He can be followed on Twitter @wmdillon.) I offer his words in the hope that they will bolster awareness of heart disease and foster a spirit of cooperation among all Kentuckians. Bill and I […]
I’ve written two new posts at the end of this week. The first is on the state of heart rhythm medicine, or as we call it, electrophysiology. The editor of the TheHeart.org asked me to look at a recent series of state-of-the-art review papers published in the British journal, the Lancet. The last time the […]
Hi all, I’m going to take my own advice tonight. I’ve got an early meeting and some big cases to do tomorrow. Good sleep forms one of the four legs of the table of health. Plus, it feels so good. Seriously, try it some time. It’s a potent anti-inflammation elixir. I’ll leave with you this […]
Quick question: What is the most overused word in Cardiology? Hint: We use it as an action verb. To find the answer, you will need to head over to my most recent post at theHeart.org. I tell the story of perhaps my most remarkable patient. Boy, that man taught me an important and timely lesson. […]