Five Questions With: Dr. Herbert Aronow

Dr. Herbert Aronow is the new director of interventional cardiology at the Cardiovascular Institute of Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital.
Director, Interventional Cardiology,
Cardiovascular Institute
Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories
Rhode Island
The Miriam Hospitals
2015
Aronow, Herbert MD 2015
Dr. Herbert Aronow is the new director of interventional cardiology at the Cardiovascular Institute of Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital. Director, Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Institute Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories Rhode Island The Miriam Hospitals 2015 Aronow, Herbert MD 2015

Herbert Aronow is the new director of interventional cardiology at the Cardiovascular Institute of Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital and Newport Hospital. He earned his medical degree at the University of Michigan, and recently arrived in Rhode Island after practicing previously in Michigan.

PBN: Welcome to Rhode Island. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve experienced here so far?
ARONOW:
After figuring out the true meaning of a “bubbler” and a “cabinet,” I have to say that my family and I have been most surprised by the reception we’ve been given! Having spent most of our lives in the Midwest, we naturally assumed that few places were friendlier. Rhode Island has certainly given the Midwest a run for its money in that regard. Everyone we’ve met has been welcoming and hospitable and that has made the transition to our new home so much smoother.

PBN: How is it going treating at all three hospitals – is one of them your home base?
ARONOW:
Although I am able to see patients at all three hospitals, I currently divide my time equally between Rhode Island and The Miriam Hospitals. I have really enjoyed my time as director of interventional cardiology and of the cardiac catheterization labs at both institutions. Each hospital has wonderful nursing and technical staffs as well as top-notch providers who are able to offer their patients the latest diagnostic technologies and greatest innovative therapies.

PBN: What medical technology within cardiology are you most excited about right now?
ARONOW:
In cardiovascular medicine, we are constantly witnessing the introduction of new technology and the evolution of existing technology. At the moment, perhaps most exciting are the advances in minimally invasive treatment of heart valve and heart chamber problems, so-called “structural heart interventions.” Using tiny catheters, operators are now able to replace or repair a heart valve, close an opening between heart chambers or even wall off a part of the heart to prevent the release of blood clots that could otherwise cause stroke. I am proud to say that we can offer all of these procedures to our patients through the Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute.

- Advertisement -

PBN: Have advances in cardiology reduced heart disease mortality significantly enough in the past couple of decades to lower it on the list of killers?
ARONOW:
The rate of death from heart and blood vessel disease has plummeted across the Western World in recent years. Much of this decline can be attributed to the adoption of healthy lifestyles, including smoking cessation, adherence to a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise. More widespread use of the statin cholesterol-lowering agents and other life-saving medical therapies have contributed even further to the decline. Nevertheless, despite these great strides, cardiovascular disease is still atop the list of leading killers and will likely remain there for some time; we have made great progress, but we should not take our eye off the ball!

PBN: What is going well, and less well, in terms of the public’s focus on cardiovascular health, and can you identify anything specific to Rhode Island that would be of interest to our readers, too?
ARONOW:
Although our efforts at fighting cardiovascular disease have been successful, we still have much work to do when it comes to improving the public’s cardiovascular health. Rhode Island, despite its small size, offers seemingly endless roads, trails, beaches and streams, all of which lend themselves well to an active lifestyle, including walking, hiking, jogging, running, biking, swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and much more! It would be a shame not to take full advantage of such resources given their potential to improve the public’s health!

No posts to display