Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD
Antonio Abbate, MD, PhD, the Ruth C. Heede Professor of Cardiology in the Department of Medicine, appeared in a public service video alongside NHL player Henrik Lundqvist, discussing Lundqvist’s experience with a heart condition known as Recurrent Pericarditis (RP).
As an expert on RP, Dr. Abbate explains the disease’s nature and offers guidance on how a person can take control of their condition. According to Dr. Abbate, “RP is an inflammation of the pericardium, which is a membrane around the heart like a sack, that is induced by an injury like a virus or surgery. However, it fails to resolve and it becomes recurrent over time, lasting several years.”
The most common symptoms are chest pain, which may radiate to the back and shoulders, shortness of breath, and palpitations, which feel like an irregular heart rhythm. Patients frequently experience fear and anxiety about the uncertainty of when the next flare-up will happen.
“Today, we have different targeted treatments that we didn’t have in the past,” stated Dr. Abatte.
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