Actor Robin Williams in hospital

[Ross]

I saw a similar report on a news network where they mentioned his cocaine use and then said that it was not likely the cause of this issue. I found it interesting that people's first thought when they found out that he had heart trouble that it must be due to his past drug use.

The problem in the article above where it mentions drug use, I believe what it means is IV drug use which can cause endocarditis, which can undermine the health of the valve. It is not drug use in general.

Matt this just shows how ignorant most of society is about heart disease. No one cares until it's them that it affects. It's just the way it is. God knows people have tried to change that over the years, but it's just as ill received now as it always has been.

 

[dtread]

Dr. Makkar's focus is in percutaneous replacement, so obviously that is going to be what he promotes. Although we all know that percutaneous and minimally invasive procedures comprise only a small percentage of valve replacement procedures. The vast majority of valve replacement procedures are still being done as they were in the "early days"; i.e., by sternotomy. Despite what Dr. Makkar says, I find it highly unlikely that Mr. Williams would have percutaneous replacement. Probably a sternotomy, perhaps minimally invasive.

If someone feels strongly enough about it you can comment online on the Scientific American article, or even better send a letter to the editor of the Scientific American.

 

[BigOwl]

After my CABG, and in part because my cardio was a local cholesterol guru and a woman, I was interviewed for local television several times for my perspective on women and heart disease. Even though I was interviewed by the so-called science reporters, they were often hugely misinformed about all manner of things--and then had to deal with editors who cut and pasted bits together that didn't make any sense, opting for sound bites and cutesy little offhand remarks. There was very little substance. Once I was interviewed for over an hour, and then the only footage that showed up was me pretending to talk to a receptionist. Now I ignore the local segments and go to PBS or New Science for my medical news.