Forte Cardiology Clinic

25/12/2025

🎄❤️ Keep Your Heart Merry & Bright This Christmas ❤️🎄
The holidays are all about joy, family, and celebration—so don’t forget to show your heart some love too!
✨ Enjoy festive treats in moderation
✨ Stay active with a winter walk or family game
✨ Share laughter—it’s great for heart health!

A healthy heart helps you enjoy every moment of the season. Wishing you a Christmas filled with love, warmth, and good health ❤️🎁

23/12/2025

As we gather to celebrate this festive season, let us embrace a spirit of mindful enjoyment. While festive toasts are a cherished tradition, we encourage a conscious approach to consumption. Moderation allows us to fully engage with the warmth of good company while making a proactive choice for our long-term well-being.

Significant cardiovascular research indicates that the pattern of episodic heavy drinking—commonly known as binging—poses acute and cumulative risks to heart health, including elevated blood pressure, arrhythmias, and increased strain on the cardiovascular system.

We extend our very best wishes to you and yours for a peaceful, joyful, and safe holiday season. May your Christmas be merry and your New Year be filled with health and happiness.

21/12/2025

冬至到了, ❄️ 記得和家人一起吃湯圓，團團圓圓，平安健康迎接新的一年～🧡

Happy Winter Solstice ☃️
A time for family, tradition, and comfort.
Wishing everyone warmth, peace, and togetherness.

16/12/2025

Red yeast rice is a traditional fermented food supplement primarily used for its ability to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, as it naturally produces a compound identical to the prescription drug lovastatin.

However, it carries significant risks, including potential side effects like muscle pain and liver issues, similar to statin medications. Furthermore, quality control is a major concern, as some supplements may be contaminated with citrinin, a kidney toxin, and their potency can vary widely between products.

Therefore, it is essential to use red yeast rice with appropriate medical supervision.

11/12/2025

"Why is my blood pressure always high during doctor consultations?

This common occurrence, known as 'white coat hypertension,' involves a temporary spike in your readings triggered by the anxiety or stress of being in a clinical environment. It's a physiological reaction that can cause your heart to beat faster and your arteries to constrict. However, it should be carefully evaluated, as some studies suggest it may indicate an increased risk for developing true, sustained hypertension in the future. The gold standard for diagnosis is 24-hour ambulatory monitoring, which tracks your pressure throughout your normal day.

Discussing this pattern with your doctor is essential. It allows them to distinguish this temporary response from chronic hypertension, preventing unnecessary medication and ensuring an accurate, personalized plan for monitoring and maintaining your long-term cardiovascular health."

28/11/2025

😴 Ever Wonder What Really Happens While You Sleep?

Here’s what we can learn from a sleep study:
📍 1. Actigraphy (Movement Tracking)
📍 2. Vital Signs Monitoring
• Blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂)
• Pulse rate
📍 3. Sleep Quality Assessment
📍 4. Autonomic Nervous System Response

✨ A sleep study can reveal what your body has been trying to tell you.
If you’re struggling with tiredness, snoring, or poor sleep, this may be the key to understanding why.

📩 WhatsApp us @ 97724922 to book an appointment with us!

25/11/2025

Have you observed soft, yellow plaques located around someone's eyelids?

These lesions, known as xanthelasma palpebrarum, are the most common form of xanthoma. Clinically, they present as benign, cholesterol-rich deposits within the skin. However, their presence carries significant diagnostic importance as a frequent cutaneous marker of underlying dyslipidemia—particularly elevated LDL cholesterol and/or low HDL cholesterol. Epidemiological studies indicate that approximately 50% of individuals with xanthelasma exhibit abnormal lipid profiles.

Consequently, the identification of xanthelasma should raise clinical suspicion for an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is imperative to regard these lesions as an indication for further cardiovascular risk stratification. The recommended course of action is a comprehensive clinical evaluation, including a fasting lipid panel, to guide appropriate management and mitigate long-term cardiovascular risk.

20/11/2025

Cardiomegaly is a frequent finding on chest X-ray. However, it is important to understand that a CXR does not visualize the heart muscle directly but instead interprets its shadow. As an indirect measurement, this finding is not definitive.

Several technical and anatomical factors can affect the appearance of the heart's size on an X-ray. These include an individual's body habitus, the phase of respiration during the image, and the specific projection used to take the X-ray.

If your chest X-ray report notes cardiomegaly, it is important to follow up with a cardiologist for a complete evaluation. The next steps usually involve tests like an EKG and an echocardiogram (a heart ultrasound) to get a clear picture of your heart's health and understand the reason behind the X-ray finding.

13/11/2025

The Frank's sign, identified as a distinct diagonal earlobe crease, is a recognized clinical marker associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

It is named after Dr. Sanders T. Frank, who first described an association between this crease and an increased risk of coronary artery disease in a 1973 article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

While its presence does not definitively diagnose heart conditions, numerous studies have established a significant statistical link to coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction.

Therefore, noticing a Frank's sign should not cause alarm but should raise awareness and encourage a thorough evaluation of traditional risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes to ensure comprehensive preventive care.

11/11/2025

Did you spot us on screen? 👀

10/11/2025

02/11/2025

🌙 Did You Know? Your Sleep Affects Your Heart ❤️

Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired — it can seriously impact your cardiovascular health. 🫀 Lack of quality sleep contributes to risk factors for heart disease such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, and inflammation.

Some common sleep disorders include:
😴 Sleep Apnea
🌑 Insomnia
🦵 Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
💤 Narcolepsy

💗 Quality sleep is just as important for your heart as diet and exercise!

If you snore loudly, feel constantly tired, or struggle to get restful sleep, talk to your doctor — better sleep could mean a healthier heart.