David Huntsman Jackson MD

What is ischemia?Ischemia is the medical term used to describe a lack of blood flow to certain organs or body parts. Since the blood carries oxygen and other necessary nutrients to parts of the body, when blow flow is reduced these body parts do not receive the adequate amount of oxygen and...

Our heart rate is automatically controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that has two divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The part of the ANS that is responsible for raising a person’s heart rate through the sympathetic plexus is the sympathetic division. The parasympathetic...

The American Heart Association released a new statement stating that there is no conclusive evidence to support the relationship between gum disease and heart problems, and that treating gum disease can improve heart conditions. Gum disease is a major contributor to tooth loss and decay in adults....

What is a bubble study?A bubble study is a type of echocardiogram, which is the ultrasound of the heart. An echocardiogram is done to visualize the heart and its surrounding areas. Better images of the heart can be produced when a “contrast” is used during the echocardiogram. In a bubble study,...

Results of a study presented in the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting in San Diego showed that coping with mental stress is harder on a  woman's heart, when compared to that of men. Researcher Chester Ray, PhD, professor of medicine, and cellular and molecular physiology at Penn State's College of...

How Do High Cholesterol Levels Affect the Heart?Cholesterol is not that bad for our body – it has several important functions and is needed in moderate amounts. This compound is required to make new cells in the body, protect neurons, and also produce hormones. But when the amount of cholesterol...