With our heart health expert, Dr. Choi Ask Dr. Choi a question about heart health Latest Question How serious are distal inferior wall problems? Am I more at risk of a heart attack if I have these problems? Dr. Choi's Response

I am not entirely sure what to make of your question, but I gather you are referring to the inferior wall of the heart muscle. The heart muscle is shaped like a cone tipped over on its side, with the inferior wall making up the bottom, the anterior wall making up the top, and the lateral wall and the septum making up the two sides. Your question refers to the distal inferior wall, which refers to the bottom part of the heart that is closest to the tip of the cone.

By referring to problems involving the distal inferior wall, I would assume that you have had some form of testing which showed a problem with this part of the heart muscle. If the distal inferior wall is not functioning properly, this means either: 1) a previous heart attack has damaged this part of the heart; or 2) there is a serious narrowing in the artery that supplies the blood to this part of the heart.

Either way, this is the type of situation that requires a sit-down discussion with your doctor.

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Heart Health Question Archives

Am I at an increased risk of another heart attack if I don’t take my heart medication for a number of days? Are women less at risk for heart disease than men? Can a heart attack be mistaken for heartburn? I know someone who had the feeling of heartburn and it ended up being a heart attack. Could you please address this? Heart disease has taken the life of more than one person in my family. At what age should someone like me discuss taking ASA or other treatments with the doctor? I am a 48-year-old woman suffering from heart disease. I had a heart attack at 45 and went into heart failure. I'm being treated with medications and just don’t seem to be getting stronger. Is their anything that can be done to regain my strength? I am currently taking low-dose ASA 81 mg. I've seen higher strengths of ASA on the pharmacy shelf. Would taking a higher dose be more effective at preventing heart disease? I have diabetes and high blood pressure, and I am overweight. My doctor recently recommended that I take low-dose ASA every day. What's the purpose of adding another medication to therapy? I have had three heart attacks. Could a heart problem cause sweating? How can I fix this problem? I'm a 45 year old man. I'd say I live a relatively healthy life and I don't have any medical conditions. Do I have to start worrying about heart disease at my age? My doctor told me I need to have a surgical procedure done to implant a small defibrillator in my chest. Are small defibrillators implanted in the chest safe? My friend told me that there's no point in women taking low-dose ASA because it doesn't work in women. Is this true? My name is Joe, I'm 52 years old. I'm active and I don't smoke but I do have atrial fibrillation. The only medication I take for it is ASA, 81mg. Is there anything new regarding treatment of this condition? Other than medications, what are some alternative ways to lower blood pressure? Are there any natural remedies? What foods contain niacin? Should people with heart disease increase their intake of niacin-rich foods? What happens when you keep forgetting to take your medication? My doctor recently told me to start taking daily low-dose ASA but I keep missing doses so I tend to go several days without taking it. Is there any harm in this? What is "INR"? What should I do in the case of a heart attack?

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