Your Questions About Heart and Vascular Care:

Question:
How do your cardiologists feel about a supplement called ProArgi-9 Plus, which promises to "enhance your cardiovascular system?" - Thomas

Answer:
By James Udelson, MD, Chief of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center
ProArgi-9 is a supplement that claims to have L-Arginine, "the only known precursor to Nitric Oxide." Supplements, unlike medications, are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore, it's difficult to know if they are safe and/or effective. You should speak to your physician before taking any supplement.

Question:
I was stunned to hear about actor Bill Paxton's death from a stroke following heart surgery. How often does something like that occur? -- Andrea

Answer: 
By Fred Chen, MD, Ph.D., Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Tufts Medical Center
Stroke in cardiac surgery occurs on average in about 5% of all patients undergoing heart surgery. For aortic surgery, the risk is slightly high with an incidence of about 6-8%. Stroke is caused because the brain tissue can be damaged during surgery."

Question:
My mother (she's 62) insists she doesn't need to take her blood pressure medicine every day. She says on the weekends, she is less stressed and doesn't need it. How important is it to take this type of pill regularly? – Jess

Answer:
James Udelson, MD, Chief of Cardiology, Tufts Medical Center
High blood pressure is not always related to stress. Many people have high blood pressure even when quite relaxed. Thus good treatment of blood pressure involves routinely taking prescribed medications for best long-term prevention of strokes and heart failure. There are many different drugs for high blood pressure, so if side effects are an issue she can discuss with her PCP to try another agent.

To make an appointment with a cardiologist at Tufts Medical Center, call 617-636-2273.

Do you have a question about your heart? Experts in Tufts Medical Center's CardioVascular Center can provide general information on cardiac conditions. Ask your questions by clicking here.

The above content is provided for educational purposes by Tufts Medical Center. It is free for educational use. For information about your own health, contact your physician. Posted September 2017