​Changing one’s lifestyle is a major step towards preventing type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. Individuals who’re at risk of developing diabetes or already have it can adopt the following measures to prevent the disease from occurring or progressing.

Lose Excess Weight

Research has shown that people who lose weight lower their risk of developing diabetes. According to research, individuals who lose approximately 7 percent of their body weight reduced the occurrence of diabetes by almost 60 percent. The American Diabetes Association advises individuals with prediabetes (high risk of getting diabetes) to lose at least 7 to 10 percent of their body weight to stop disease progression.

Minimize Consumption of Highly Processed Foods

Highly processed foods often contain chemical preservatives, added sugars, and unhealthy fats. Examples of highly processed foods include hot dogs, sodas, chips, candy bars, and frozen desserts. Studies have revealed that consuming highly processed foods increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30 percent.

Drink Plenty of Water

It’s advisable to limit the consumption of beverages with high amounts of sugar, and instead focus on consuming lots of water. Sugary drinks, such as sweetened fruit juice and soda, have been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA), the latter of which exhibits features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, increased water intake improves blood sugar regulation and insulin response.

Click herA nonprofit organization representing cardiothoracic surgeons and other allied professionals, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has successfully held a workshop on robotic cardiac surgery. On May 9 and 10, 2024, 80 surgeons from different cities in the United States received hands-on procedural experience in cardiac robotic surgeries in a realistically simulated environment.

On day one, the participants had a hands-on simulation workshop on using the latest technology and innovation, particularly in robotic mitral valve and coronary bypass procedures. During the workshop, the participants sat on consoles where they controlled the surgical robots. The workshop was helpful to beginner robotic surgical teams that are yet to build robotic programs and advanced robotic surgical teams looking to improve their current cardiac surgery robotic practice.

On day two, world-renowned robotic cardiac surgeons provided the participants with educational activities surrounding the intricate sphere of cardiothoracic surgery. The training included faculty discussions and case videos on critical topics such as patient selection, operative techniques, perioperative management, and postoperative care.e to edit.

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Brain death and brain stem death circumstances where individuals receive artificial life support from a machine but the brain no longer functions. Many causes can lead to the status, including lack of oxygen to the brain or heart attack.

The status implies that patients will not regain consciousness or breathe without support. Medical professionals diagnose the patient as legally dead with no chance of recovery. Brain death can occur when the oxygen or blood supply to the brain stops.

Cardiac arrest can cause brain death. The heart stops beating, starving the brain of oxygen. Another cause of brain death is a heart attack.

Heart attacks block the blood supply to the heart. In addition, strokes can do the same. Strokes interrupt the blood supply to their brain.

Other causes of brain death are a severe head injury, a blockage in a blood vessel, a brain hemorrhage, infections like encephalitis, or a brain tumor.

​Coronary artery bypass surgery is a procedure that creates a new path to allow blood to flow around (bypass) a blocked or partially blocked artery in the heart. During the surgery, a healthy blood vessel is obtained from the chest or leg area and connected below the blocked heart artery to boost blood flow to the heart muscle. Also known as coronary artery bypass grafting, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or heart bypass surgery, the surgery helps to boost the heart’s function, especially for patients who’ve suffered a heart attack or those at an increased risk of heart attack.

Blocked arteries are caused by coronary heart disease, which causes a waxy substance known as plaque to accumulate/build up inside the arteries, which play a vital role in supplying blood to the heart. When plaque accumulates, it can cause a blood clot, and if quick action is not taken, the heart muscles, which rely on the proper functioning of the artery, can begin to die. Even though coronary artery bypass surgery doesn’t cure the heart disease that causes artery blockage, it helps lower discomfort caused by shortness of breath and chest pain.

Individuals who undergo coronary artery bypass surgery include those with severe narrowing of the main heart artery and severe chest pain due to narrowing of multiple heart arteries. Others include those with a blocked heart artery, which cannot be treated using coronary angioplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter to widen an affected artery.

​Surgery is a rewarding career, but also a demanding one with many challenges. Surgical procedures often last many hours, and they can be quite physically demanding. Fortunately, surgeons can adopt several practices to improve their physical well-being and performance.

Physical stresses surgeons experience during surgical procedures include repetitive arm movements and prolonged static positions. Operating rooms may contribute to the ergonomic stress of surgery. This is because most surgical tables are not adjustable below 28.5 inches. In addition, the handles of most surgical equipment are not available in varying sizes, potentially causing physical stress for surgeons with small hands.

To reduce ergonomic stress, operating rooms should have adjustable operating tables. In addition, health care organizations can collaborate with manufacturers to make surgical equipment with ergonomic designs. Surgeons can also incorporate various forms of exercise into their daily routines to help them deal with the physical stresses of surgery. Exercises such as strength training, yoga, tai chi, and Pilates can all be beneficial.

​The heart comprises four chambers that coordinate to take in blood and pump it across the body. There are valves between these chambers that open to allow blood from one chamber to the next and close to prevent backflow. They keep blood moving forward in the heart.

Sometimes, valves become damaged due to injury or disease. Examples of conditions that affect valves are valve regurgitation (leaky valves) and valve stenosis (valve stiffness). Some of the symptoms of damaged valves are dizziness, breathing difficulty, chest pain, heart palpitations, and swelling in the abdomen, feet, and ankles.

When a valve is damaged, it must be repaired or replaced. Valve repair surgery is an open heart procedure done in a hospital’s operating room. The patient must be sedated, and surgeons open up their chest cavity to access their heart. Afterward, they repair the damaged valve by removing the calcium deposits causing stiffness, fusing separated valve leaflets, or removing weak valve leaflets. Surgeons may also patch up leaky valves if some have developed holes.

Sometimes, the valve is so damaged it has to be replaced. In that case, surgeons remove the valve and replace it with an artificial one made of animal tissue, human tissue, or plastic coated with carbon. The surgery typically takes around three hours.

​The heart is a muscle that needs regular stimulation to stay healthy. Not all exercise routines are beneficial to the heart, so it's essential to familiarize yourself with the exercises that are most beneficial to your heart health.

Aerobic exercises are the best workout routines for improving heart health. They include walking, running, biking, cycling, and swimming. Aerobic exercise benefits the heart by helping lower heart rate, blood pressure, and the chances of diabetes.

Stretch, balance, and flexibility exercises like yoga and pilates also benefit the heart. While flexibility exercises do not directly impact the heart, they ensure other muscles function properly and help improve heart health.

Resistance or strength exercises also contribute to improved heart health. Resistance training involves workout routines like weightlifting or using resistance equipment like cables or bands. Similarly, squats, push-ups, and press-ups are vital aspects of resistance training. Resistance training helps strengthen the muscles, which in turn takes stress off the heart.

​An accomplished physician who specializes in cardiothoracic surgery and vascular surgery, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner is one of 36 specialty doctors that offer comprehensive medical care to patients of Cardiac Surgery Associates. In 2017, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner was selected and featured by the American Health Council (AHC) in its “Best in Medicine” and “Leader in Medicine” lists.

AHC is the only organization in the US with a membership that represents all sectors of the healthcare industry. AHC strives to recognize and support outstanding individuals and institutions who make a difference in the quality of their patients’ lives. Every year, AHC recognizes the significant contribution of America’s best doctors in the field of medicine, and features them in its “Best in” web platform.

The “Best in Medicine” award is given to selected physicians from all 50 states who have contributed towards the betterment of healthcare. The same doctors can be selected to a higher award of “Leaders in Medicine” or “Award of Excellence.”

AHC’s Research Department and Nomination Committee handles the awards’ nomination and selection processes. Nominees are identified using publicly available information from sources such as healthcare associations, medical practice registrations, and medical school alumni directories. The profiles of nominees are compiled using open-source intelligence. From the information gathered, a score is assigned using a weighted algorithm. Nominees are interviewed to verify the information and the scores, and to know the candidates’ motivations for the good of healthcare.

​A cardiac surgeon, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner, has practiced with Cardiac Surgery Associates in Lafayette, Indiana, since 2021. Dr. Hartmuth Bittner received a Best in Medicine award in cardiothoracic surgery from the American Health Council in 2017.

Established in 2015 with a mission to improve treatment for US patients, the American Health Council is both an incubator for collaboration and a voice for advocacy in the healthcare sector. It also offers several awards to recognize outstanding work in various medical fields.

The American Health Council’s Best in Medicine designation honors the top 100 professionals in each state who practice in a particular field of medicine. To qualify for a “Best in Medicine” award, candidates must go beyond providing compassionate medical services at the highest standards of care. They must make significant contributions to the future of American healthcare by contributing to physician training and acting as an “advocate, collaborator, communicator, decision-maker, expert, manager, and scholar.”