Ann K. Kao M.D.

Cardiac ablation is a procedure used for atrial fibrillation (a-fib) treatment, which is an irregular beating of the heart. Doctors may recommend the procedure when other methods of treatment such as drugs and heartbeat reset aren’t successful.If atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heart rate,...

What is High Blood Pressure?High blood pressure is a condition whereby an individual’s blood vessels become strained due to high pressure by the blood flowing in them. It’s a dangerous condition not because it has any negative side-effects on its own but because of the potential health problems...

Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is characterized by the formation of clots, or thrombus, in one or more of deep veins in the body. Clots may develop in different parts of the body, like arms or chest, but are more commonly seen in the legs. DVT is a serious condition as the blood clot may move to...

What is a persistent cough?It can be annoying to have a cough that lasts for more than a couple of weeks. A cough is considered chronic or persistent if it does not go away after four weeks in children and eight weeks in adults. However, most persistent coughs are due to colds, flu, infection, or...

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s healthy cells, tissues, and organs. The inflammation can damage the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, and blood vessels.Normally, the body’s immune system produces antibodies. These antibodies protect and fight...

IntroductionDoctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions or diseases of the cardiovascular system (the heart and blood vessels) are called heart doctors or cardiologists. These specialists are trained to identify, treat, and help prevent heart issues. There are also different...