Healthy Heart is a free community educational event focused on empowerment and self care with expert-lead experiential workshops ranging from heart disease prevention lifestyle guidance, diabetes education, stress management, and fitness sessions. Our lineup of exceptional speakers includes: Dr. A. Shekhar Pandey, Dr. Peter Lin, Dr. Sonja Reichert and Dr. Alice Cheng
Hearing that you or a family member has heart disease can be distressing. Learn what you can do to help prevent, treat and potentially even reverse it! What is Cardiac Rehab? What can you expect when you attend cardiac rehab? Family members and caregivers are welcome invited to attend.
Hearing that you or a family member has heart disease can be distressing. Learn what you can do to help prevent, treat and potentially even reverse it! What is Cardiac Rehab? What can you expect when you attend cardiac rehab? Family members and caregivers are welcome invited to attend.
Learn about the surprising relationship between stress & heart disease and what you can do about it! By the end of this seminar, you will have learned a number of practical stress management strategies that you can put to use right away. Bring your questions for our stress management counselor. Family members and caregivers are invited to attend.
Learn about the medications you take and how they work and what to do if you encounter side effects. Bring your questions for our cardiac pharmacist. Family members and caregivers are invited to attend.
How much do you know about diabetes? What can you eat? What can you do? What tools are available for you to manage your disease? Know your numbers. Know what your diabetes medications do. Bring your questions for our cardiac pharmacist and diabetes educator, family members and caregivers are invited to attend.
Heart failure can sound like a very scary thing. Learn about your disease and what you can do to do to get better. Bring your questions for our heart failure nurse, family members and caregivers are invited to attend.
With so many diets and so many choices, what should you eat for your heart health? What’s the deal with keto, DASH or Paleo diets? Get guidance from a registered dietitian. family members, caregivers, grocery runners, and home chefs are invited to attend.
Empower Your Health: Taking Control of Diabetes with Our Certified Diabetes Educator, Ashley- Free
October 15, 2023 3:00 p.m.
Ready to take charge of your diabetes and live a healthier life? Join us in this empowering video as our certified diabetes educator shares invaluable insights, practical tips, and personalized strategies to help you manage and control your diabetes effectively.
Discover the latest information on diabetes management, learn about personalized nutrition plans, and gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate exercise into your routine. Our expert will guide you through essential self-care practices, empowering you with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions about your health.
Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been managing diabetes for years, this video is designed to inspire and educate. Don't let diabetes control you—take control of your diabetes and transform your life! Subscribe now for expert guidance, real-life success stories, and the motivation you need to thrive on your journey to better health.
Minimizes cardiac complications and buys time for your heart health.
The Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic provides swift, early cardiovascular assessments for patients with newly presenting chest pain symptoms and for patients with known and worsening ischaemic heart disease who need to be seen urgently.
This cardiologist-led clinic provides a “fast-track” to appropriate cardiac investigations and treatment. The chest pain clinic was created in partnership with local hospitals and health care teams to help reduce stress on local hospitals while also improving ER patient outcomes. We do this by ensuring non-invasive, patient-friendly cardiac testing, often within 48 - 72 hours of your ER visit. The only requirement is a referral from the hospital or your healthcare provider.
Benefits of an out-patient Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic
Patients who show up with chest pain symptoms in the ER statistically have a better chance of avoiding cardiac complications when they receive a rapid assessment by a cardiologist. Benefits of an out-patient chest pain clinic include:
Rapid Access non-invasive testing
Decreases ER wait times
Reduces length of stay at the hospital
Minimizes complications and buys time for heart health
Reduces the stress and anxiety of waiting for answers.
Decreases load on the health care system
The Chest Pain Team
Multi-disciplinary but with a single focus
Guided by our lead physician and dedicated Chest Pain Clinic nurses, this innovative program was designed to ease the burden placed on local hospitals while ensuring timely access to patients who have experienced not only chest pain but also all the fears and anxieties that come along with it. The greatest strength of this novel regional program is the elaborate team of allied health care professionals who are made available to Chest Pain patients through our unique P.R.E.V.E.N.T. Cardiac Rehab and Risk-reversal Clinic. Focusing on accurate diagnosis, event-prevention, comprehensive therapy and lifestyle intervention, patients receive personalized, proactive, guideline-based care in a supportive environment.
Often the initial visit to our Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic is arranged by the emergency department physician who would have attended to your chest pain at the hospital. Sometimes, however, you may have seen your family doctor, walk-in clinic or urgent care physician who can make the same call. In any case, the physician would have suspected a potential for heart disease based upon your symptoms and cardiac risk factors. They would have referred you to our Rapid Access clinic to determine your risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and to help prevent possible future cardiac events from occurring.
Upon arriving at Cambridge Cardiac Care, please register with our friendly staff at the reception window. You will first be called in by a technologist who will commence your cardiac testing which may include an ECG, Echocardiogram, Holter Monitor, ABPM, Stress Test and Stress Echocardiogram. Upon completing the full workup, you will meet with the specialized cardiac nurse or the cardiologist who will review your test results and consult with you regarding your risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), may suggest further testing and possibly commence an appropriate treatment plan. Follow up appointments may be suggested as well.
Since you will be undergoing cardiac testing at your first appointment, it is important to follow the following instructions. You may also visit the test-specific pages on our website to get more detailed information in advance of your appointment.
General Cardiac Testing Instructions:
Shower in the morning, before your appointment.
Do not wear lotions or body oil.
Do not wear jewelry or perfume.
Wear comfortable exercise clothing to your appointment.
Eat a light meal 2-3 hours before your appointment.
Stay away from caffeine. No coffee, tea, chocolate, soda pop, or decaf products.
Bring running shoes to change into during your appointment.
Bring a bottle of water and a light snack just in case.
Bring a list of all your medications.
Bring your health card and referral requisition.
Be prepared to be in the clinic for up to four hours.
Chest pain or discomfort may be the result of many differing conditions, some of which may not be cardiac in nature. Having chest pain does not necessarily mean you are having a heart attack. However, since chest pain can be a sign of a cardiac event, it is important to get assessed as quickly as possible.
Heart-related chest pain may be caused by any one of the following. If you suspect one of these to be the case and you have ongoing chest pains, call 911 immediately and have an ambulance take you to the hospital.
Chest Pain of Cardiac Origin
Angina Angina is a term for chest pain that is caused by the narrowing of coronary arteries (the blood vessels that feed the heart muscle itself) and is a sign of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). This narrowing, known as atherosclerosis, occurs as a result of fatty plaque depositing on the inner lining of the blood vessels. Over time, the growing fat deposits prevent a normal amount of oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart muscle, known as cardiac ischemia. It is vitally important to have angina symptoms followed up by a cardiologist. Take your angina seriously.
Angina is particularly common during physical activity, when the heart rate and blood pressure increase due to the heart's demand for more oxygen. This type of chest pain develops when the heart’s demand for oxygen exceeds the amount of oxygen that is being delivered by the narrowed coronary arteries.
Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction) The chest discomfort caused by a heart attack (an MI) may feel like a prolonged and more intense episode of angina. It must be taken seriously. In this case, the fatty plaque deposit in the coronary arteries has ruptured causing a blood clot. This blood clot (thrombus) may partially or even completely block blood from flowing to the heart muscle. If blood flow is obstructed for more than 15 minutes, the muscle may become permanently damaged (infarcted), killing the tissue in that area. Yes, it is indeed as serious as it sounds.
Variant angina Chest pain may sometimes be caused by a temporary spasm of the coronary arteries. In this case, patients experience a similar type of pain to classic angina however, in variant angina the arteries are usually normal with little to no plaque-related narrowing or obstruction. The spasm itself may result in a temporary, partial blockage to blood flow.
Pericarditis Chest pain may occur due to an inflammation of the membranes that surround the heart. This type of chest pain usually intensifies with deep breathing, coughing or sneezing. In this case, pain may be relieved by sitting forward.
Myocarditis The heart muscle itself may become inflamed, causing chest pain that mimics angina. Usually myocarditis is caused by a viral infection or autoimmune conditions.
Heart valve or muscle conditions Conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, mitral valve prolapse and aortic stenosis may cause chest pain. All of these conditions have different rates of progression and require different types of followup or cardiac workup.
Aortic dissection Aortic dissection is an uncommon but very serious cause of chest pain that often requires emergency surgery. The pain of an aortic dissection is often described as a severe ripping or tearing sensation that comes on suddenly and is felt especially in the back and between the shoulder blades. An aortic dissection occurs when the inner wall of the aorta (the body’s main artery) ruptures or tears. As a result, blood begins to flow out of the artery and floods in the body cavity, similar to how a split in a garden hose would cause uncontrolled flooding of a garden.
The initial assessment appointment at the Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic may take up to 4-hours. As such, it is best to be prepared with a bottle of water and a light snack in case the appointment runs long. The duration will depend on what specifically is being investigated in your case.
Some patients may be required to discontinue taking certain medications the day of their initial assessment. This does not, however, apply to all patients. So, please, do not stop any medications on your own without the express instructions of your healthcare provider. If you are instructed to suspend certain medications on the day of your appointment, you may resume taking them immediately upon completing the necessary cardiac tests.
What tests might I need?
Accurate diagnosis means the right tests, by the right people, at the right time.
It is important to determine exactly what is going on, and why, in order for your cardiologist to develop an appropriate plan of care. You can expect to have some, or all, of the following tests done in preparation for your assessment by the cardiologist:
Physical Exam
Come prepared knowing your symptoms, medical and family history!
Measurements of blood pressure, height & weight and listening to heart & lungs stethescope
Be completely honest! It's your health!
Blood Test
Blood tests may be done at any lab that is convenient for you. Some blood tests require you to fast 8-10 hours, others do not. Please check the requisition or check with your health care provider.
Blood tests help determine your risk for development or progression of various heart diseases.
Measurements of substances like liver enzymes, sodium, potassium and creatinine can indicate the health of other organs that may be effected by heart disease.
Biomarkers like BNP might also be used for diagnosis of heart failure (CHF).
Chest X-Ray (CXR)
Chest X-rays are performed in radiology labs
Chest x-rays can show whether the heart is enlarged (like in heart failure)
Chest x-rays can also show fluid or congestion in the lungs
Electrocardiocgram (ECG)
During an ECG, electrodes are placed on the chest and detect the electric signals in the heart
This can indicate prior heart attacks, and abnormal heartbeats (like atrial fibrillation)
They can also be used to detect whether the left ventricle is thickened/enlarged
An echo machine bounces sound waves off the heart to examine its structure and motion of fluids like blood
This can be used to measure the structure of the heart (how thick/rigid the walls are) and how well the heart pumps (ejection fraction) as well as the structure and function of valves
They can also be used to detect whether the left ventricle is thickened/enlarged
Accurate diagnosis means the right tests, by the right people, at the right time.
Chest pain can take many forms and is caused by a number of conditions, not always cardiac in nature. It is important to determine exactly what is going on, and why, in order to develop an appropriate plan of care. Chest pain patients can expect to have the following cardiac tests done in preparation for their initial cardiologist consultation:
Cardiac perfusion scan (aka MIBI scan) - performed off-site. Assesses blood flow through the heart.
CT angiography: performed off-site. Assesses the heart and the blood vessels by CAT scan.
Cardiac Catheterization - performed off-site. Usually only recommended for patients at higher risk of coronary artery blockage.
Why you need prevention-rehab now.
The P.R.E.V.E.N.T. & Rehabilitation Clinic
If you have been referred to the Chest Pain clinic, you have direct, Rapid Access to our P.R.E.V.E.N.T. Rehabillitation & Risk-reversal Clinic: the largest unit of its kind in the region. Why? Because in many cases, time is of the essence. Studies show that cardiac rehab can reduce the risk of future cardiac events and disease progression by upto 90%! Initial chest pain symptoms do not have to result in progression of heart disease, if you start managing it now by making lifestyle changes and adhering to recommended therapies. Learn how at The P.R.E.V.E.N.T. Rehabillitation & Risk-reversal Clinic.
Wait Times
Drag to see the table
Cardiac Test
Routine Test Wait Time
Urgent Test Wait Time
ABPM
2 weeks
Same day
ECG
24 hours
Same day
Echocardiogram
2 weeks
36 hours
Stress Test (Exercise / Treadmill)
2 weeks
Same day
Stress Echocardiogram
2 weeks
24 hours
Holter Monitor - 24 Hour
2 weeks
24 hours
Holter Monitor - 48 Hour
2 weeks
24 hours
Holter Monitor – 72 Hour
2 weeks
48 hours
Holter Monitor - 2 Weeks
2 weeks
48 hours
Spirometry
24 hours
Same day
The above wait-times indicate the standard benchmarks that Cambridge Cardiac Care strives to meet each and every day. Unforeseen circumstances and Public Health mandates, may effect these wait times. Rest assured that timely access is a driving force at CCC: we will get you in as soon as possible, based on your assessed level of urgency.
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