Have a Heart - Take Care of It!

Cardiologist Rama Gondi, M.D. performs cardiovascular procedures at Saint Anthony’s Health Center’s Heart Center of Excellence, including angioplasty and stent placements.

 As a cardiologist at Saint Anthony’s Health Center, Rama Gondi, M.D. has the opportunity to do what he loves everyday.
 “What keeps me going is helping people and seeing the difference it makes for them,” Gondi said. “Patients and their families are always so happy and thankful.”
  Board certified in invasive and interventional cardiology, Gondi is part of the cardiovascular team at Saint Anthony’s Heart Center of Excellence that supplies a number of services utilizing state-of-the-art technology.
 Congestive heart failure is the most common medical emergency visit that needs careful evaluation and treatment, according to Gondi. “If you are suspicious of symptoms of a heart attack, which most often is chest pain, the sooner medical attention is sought, the better. Heart attack is commonly due to a closed artery to the heart muscle – every minute that goes by damages more muscle. Call 9-1-1 immediately and take an aspirin if possible.”
 Gondi said the Heart Center located at Saint Anthony’s provides an extensive line of cardiology services locally, making it much more convenient for area residents, and closer when every second counts.
 Angioplasty, stent placements for the heart, legs and kidneys, cardiac catheterization, pacemaker implants and implantable defibrillators are performed at the Heart Center, as well as cardiac rehabilitation and screening tests such as electrocardiograms, ultrasounds and cardiac stress tests.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing more heart problems, shifting down to younger and younger people,” Gondi said.
He said causes for the shift vary from more sedentary lifestyles, job stress, not as much structured exercise, smoking, modes of transportation (not as much walking), to hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and dietary habits.
“Many of these are modifiable factors,” Gondi said. “But many people also have a strong family history of heart disease that is non-modifiable.”
But regular checkups and taking care of yourself can go a long way in protecting your heart.
 Gondi has also become very focused on heart disease in women.
 “People still do not realize how serious heart disease in women has become. Unfortunately, it is the most common cause of death in women, more than breast cancer,” he said. “Awareness is the key. Most symptoms of a heart attack in women are atypical to those in men, so they are often overlooked.”
 Women’s symptoms may surface as shortness of breath or just tiredness for no apparent reason. “The disease is aggressive in women,” Gondi noted.
 “Any symptom that is out of the ordinary should be checked to eliminate the possibility of heart disease,” he said.
 Gondi underwent internal medicine and cardiology training at Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University. He said that cardiology specialization just seemed to click with him.
 And speaking of clicking - Gondi is also an avid photographer. “I’ve carried around a camera since I can remember,” he said. His interests include subjects in nature, such as sunsets, birds and flowers. He keeps very busy with his two children as well.

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