Blog Archive

A stress test isn’t meant to stress you out. It’s a test your cardiologist may use to help diagnose possible heart-related symptoms you’re having and determine the proper course of treatment. It’s noninvasive, completely painless, and there’s no prep or downtime involved. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. A....

Shortness of breath, medically called dyspnea, is a relatively common symptom that can be present in many types of health conditions, ranging from anxiety to asthma to lung problems to cardiac disease. That’s why it’s important to get a medical workup if your breathlessness doesn’t go away. At Northwest Houston...

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that affects blood flow in both the upper and lower chambers of your heart. The root cause is an electrical problem in your heart's atria (the upper chambers) that causes them to beat erratically and become out of sequence with the ventricles (lower...

It’s been a long day, you’re tired, and you want to go to bed. And you try, but, once again, your legs start dancing a jig the moment you lie down. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) has struck again. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. A. Adnan Aslam and Dr....

Blood pressure is one of the vital signs your doctor measures each time you come into the office. It can provide important information about your heart’s performance and your overall cardiovascular health. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. A. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman remind our patients about...

When you think of varicose veins, you probably think of them as nothing more than a cosmetic blemish, but that’s not the whole story. Varicose veins relay important information about your vein health. Varicose veins indicate a problem with the venous side of your circulatory system and are a warning...

We’ve been conditioned by years of watching television to believe that if someone is experiencing chest pain, they’ll clutch at their chest then collapse with a heart attack. Only it’s not that simple. Not everyone experiences a heart attack in the same way, and not all chest pain is related...

When you experience symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness, your doctor may want you to take a stress test. This diagnostic procedure indicates how well your heart functions when it has to work harder than normal. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. A. Adnan...

A pacemaker is a small, implantable electronic device used to monitor the heart’s electrical activity. If the normal rhythm is disrupted, or if the beat slows down, the pacemaker sends an electrical signal to restore the heart’s normal rate and rhythm. The device contains a small generator and insulated wires,...

If your legs keep swelling (edema), it means they’re retaining fluid that makes them puff up, the skin turning shiny and taut. Not all causes of swollen legs are serious. You can develop them if you eat too much salt or don’t get enough exercise. You can also develop them...

Your entire body relies on the circulatory system to provide its tissues with oxygen and nutrients, so if a part of the system doesn’t work properly, you have a serious medical problem. Unfortunately, a number of conditions can negatively impact the circulation in your legs, which can lead to more...

Cholesterol is a lipid, a type of waxy fat, that moves through your bloodstream to the parts of your body that need it to function. Your body naturally manufactures whatever cholesterol you need. However, it’s also plentiful in animal-derived foods, so if you eat too much of those, you can...

Hypertension (high blood pressure) can cause serious health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 119.9 million American adults, or 48.1% of the population, have it. And, what’s worse, only 22.5% of them have the condition under control. In 2021, it was the primary or contributing...

Varicose veins, the ropy, colored protuberances that appear on the calves and thighs, are definitely an eyesore, but they can also produce pain, swelling, and an aching heaviness in the legs. In addition, they may lead to later stages of vein disease that cause more complications and are harder to...

You can’t miss varicose veins. These large, ropy, colored swellings appear on the skin, mostly on the legs and feet. While they’re definitely an aesthetic eyesore, more importantly, they’re a sign of deeper trouble with the circulatory system. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman...

You’ve seen it in dozens of movies. A guy suddenly screams in pain, clutches his chest or his left arm, and falls to the ground, writhing with a heart attack. That can certainly happen, but a heart attack can present in a number of different ways, especially among women. And...

If you experience chest pain and/or shortness of breath, especially when you’re moving, your doctor will want to test you for heart disease. To do that, he may order a stress test, which provides information about how your heart functions under physical strain. That includes identifying the underlying cause(s) of...

Cholesterol is a type of waxy fat, called a lipid, that travels through your body by way of your bloodstream to where it’s needed. Your body naturally makes all the cholesterol you need, but because most people eat animal-derived foods, which also contain cholesterol, you can end up with higher...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most prevalent form of heart disease. According to the CDC, it was responsible for 375,476 deaths in 2021, with 2 in 10 deaths occurring in adults under 65. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman understand how frightening...

Edema occurs when capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body, leak fluid into the surrounding tissues and cause them to swell. However, the underlying problem can be any of a number of different conditions, which is why it’s so important to get an accurate diagnosis to inform treatment. At...

Varicose veins can be unsightly and embarrassing. They appear as large, colored, ropy protrusions on the legs and feet, marring your skin. They’re also more than just a cosmetic concern, as they can affect both your veins and overall health. Cardiologists Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman at Northwest...

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the pressure of your blood against your artery walls increases to levels that can damage your bodily systems. It affects some 1 billion people across the globe, accounting for about half of all heart disease- and stroke-related deaths,...

Varicose veins are a common condition, one of the early stages of vein disease that affects some 3 in 10 adults. Often considered more of a cosmetic than a medical issue, varicose veins — red, blue, or purple protrusions snaking across the legs — can be painful and cause skin rashes,...

Leg pain can result from illness, overuse, sprains, strains, and inflammation, to name just a few causes. But if you don’t remember injuring yourself, where is your leg pain coming from, and is it a cause for concern? At Northwest Houston Heart Center, our fellowship-trained cardiologists, Dr. A. Adnan Aslam...

Vein problems can develop for any of a number of reasons. Would you be surprised to learn that pregnancy is one of them? At Northwest Houston Heart Center, cardiologists Dr. A. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman diagnose and treat all manner of vein diseases, including vein problems caused by pregnancy. Here’s what they...

Cholesterol is a lipid, a type of waxy fat that travels to every part of your body through your bloodstream. Your liver produces whatever cholesterol you need; however, you can consume additional fats through animal-derived foods, so your levels may be higher than those that are healthy. At Northwest Houston Heart...

Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, is a major health problem. While your blood pressure usually rises and falls somewhat during the day, if it remains too high for too long, it can create serious complications, including death. According to the CDC, hypertension was a primary or contributing...

Stress, whether it’s environmental or psychological, triggers a cascade of hormones that produce well-orchestrated physiological changes. Your heart pounds, your blood pressure rises, your breathing quickens, and your muscles tense. All are in preparation for what’s known as the fight-or-flight response, a survival mechanism that gets you ready to stand...

Despite gender equality becoming part of many aspects of our lives, one area in which men and women differ is in the type and presentation of heart disease. Traditionally, men have  shouldered the burden of disease, so women haven’t always sought the help they need. However, modern lifestyle factors are...

Varicose veins are cosmetically unsightly. The large, colored, ropy protrusions that form primarily on the legs and feet mar the appearance of your skin. But they’re actually more than just a cosmetic concern; they can directly affect both your vein and overall health. Cardiologists Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman see patients at Northwest...

You’ve been experiencing troubling symptoms, including 1) chest pain, 2) shortness of breath, 3) dizziness, and 4) palpitations. What could be going on? All four of these are reasons your doctor may order a stress test. He needs to assess how your heart functions under physical strain, such as exercise,...

Leg pain can result from muscle soreness, sprains, strains, and inflammation, among other things. But did you know that leg pain can also be a sign of vascular disease? At Northwest Houston Heart Center, our fellowship-trained cardiologists Dr. A. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman want their patients in Tomball,...

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major health problem. While your blood pressure normally rises and falls during the day, if it remains too high for too long, it can cause serious complications, including increased risk for heart, brain, and kidney diseases, and even death. According to the CDC, hypertension...

Your doctor may order a stress test for a number of reasons. First, if you show any symptoms of heart disease, including chest pain and/or shortness of breath, he may want to get a sense of how your heart functions under physical strain. The test’s results provide information about the...

Cholesterol is a waxy fat, also known as a lipid, that moves through your bloodstream to all parts of your body. Your body naturally makes the cholesterol you need, but because you can also get it through eating animal-derived foods, you can end up with higher-than-desired levels. Cholesterol is an...

Hypertension, aka high blood pressure, is a major health problem. While it’s normal for your blood pressure to rise and fall during the day, especially if you’re exercising or otherwise taxing your body, if it remains elevated for too long, it leads to serious complications, including death. According to the CDC,...

If you’re exercising, you may notice a throbbing sensation in your blood vessels as your heart increases the volume of blood it pumps and the force with which it sends it through your body. But what if you feel a throbbing in your veins when you’re not exercising? Is this...

Hypertension is more commonly known as high blood pressure, and it’s a major health problem. Your blood pressure normally rises and falls during the day; however, if it remains too high for too long, it can cause serious complications, including death. According to the CDC, hypertension was a primary or...

If you exhibit any symptoms of cardiac disease, such as chest pain and/or shortness of breath, your doctor may order a stress test to assess how your heart functions under physical strain, such as exercise. The test’s results relay information about the underlying cause(s) of your symptoms so he can...

Varicose veins are an aesthetic eyesore. These large, colored, ropy protrusions, primarily on the legs and feet, mar the appearance of your skin. But are they a danger to your health? Yes, according to Dr. Adnan Aslam and Dr. Roy Norman at Northwest Houston Heart Center, serving the greater Houston,...

An arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat — too fast, too slow, or uneven. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common type of arrhythmia, caused by chaotic electrical activity in the upper chambers of the heart. When you experience AFib, one of the characteristic symptoms is shortness of breath. At Northwest Houston...

Varicose veins are large, ropy, colored swellings that appear on the skin, primarily on the legs and feet. They can be an aesthetic eyesore, but most often, they’re a sign of deeper trouble with the circulatory system. At Northwest Houston Heart Center, with four locations around the Houston, Texas, area,...

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a serious medical condition that can affect your circulatory health and the health of your other organ systems. According to the CDC, 47% of US adults (116 million) have hypertension or are taking medication for it, but only 24% of those living with it...

Your heart pumps out the blood that travels through your circulatory system, delivering oxygen and other nutrients to your tissues and other organs. It contains four chambers, two on the left side and two on the right; they coordinate their contractions through electrical signals. If you want to measure the...

Chest pain is one of the hallmark symptoms of a heart attack for most people, and if you’re having chest pain, heart attack is probably the first concern that comes to mind.  The fact is, though, chest pain has lots of potential causes. Determining what’s causing your chest pain is...