Questions posted in the
Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
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Subject: Re: altitude My brother (35) was diagnosed recently with dilated cardiomyopathy. His ejection fraction is currently at 10%, and he is taking Digoxin/Prinivil/and increasing doses of Coreg. He lives in a high altitude city, and we have been told that if he relocates it may decrease the likelihood that he will need to use supplemental oxygen as he grows older and will also decrease the pressure in his lungs. Relocation to a lower altitude is not something his doctor has recommended, but is something he is considering. Is there any information you can add to this that might help him? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where does he live? Even Denver is only 5,000 ft above sea level and the difference between that and sea-level is not that great. I would not recommend moving just to try to avoid supplemental oxygen. Be sure to discuss this with his doctor for his input. Thank you for your question. Beta-blockers decrease the number of PVC's by slowing down the conduction throughout the entire heart. Thus they also will decrease the number of PAC's as well. If you tolerate a BB it may be a good drug for you. Discuss your options with your doctor. I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
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