UP Health System-Marquette is an American College of Cardiology-certified Chest Pain Center and Cath Lab with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention). As such, it is one of the only places in the area where people can go to receive crucial care for a number of potentially life-saving interventions.

“We’re basically a hub for the entire U.P.,” said Dr. John Pap, who specializes in Cardiology and Heart and Vascular Health at UPHS-Marquette.

He also treats patients at UPHS-Portage.

“Most people in the U.P. are closer to Marquette than any other facility that have our capabilities,” Pap said.

Images provided by UPHS - Marquette Dr. John Pap is a heart and vascular specialist at UPHS - Marquette but also sees patients at the UPHS - Portage campus in Hancock.

Those capabilities include comparatively simple procedures like catheterization and stenting as well as more advanced procedures like transcatheter aortic valve replacement and open-heart surgeries like bypasses.

While some heart problems are fairly rare, others are much more common than one might think.

“Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common kinds of arrhythmias,” said Dr. Pap. “It affects around one in four of us over our lives.”

Arrhythmias occur when something impacts the heart’s electrical signal system, causing it to beat irregularly. While some arrhythmias are harmless, others can be fatal. Some can be treated with medication while others require more advanced procedures.

Valve problems, narrowed aortic valves, and coronary artery disease are other conditions commonly treated at UPHS-Marquette.

“We don’t know the cause of coronary artery disease, but we do know some of the risk factors,” said Dr. Pap. “The risk factors are split into modifiable and unmodifiable factors.”

Unmodifiable factors are those that we can’t control; those like age, family history, and sex. Modifiable risk factors are those that we can control; those like smoking, diet, and physical activity. Other factors, like cholesterol, are a little of both.

“Cholesterol is partially related to what people eat, but is also determined by genetics,” said Dr. Pap. “There are a lot of things that we can do to avoid those risk factors, but some of them are harder than others.”

Common lifestyle changes to improve heart health include quitting smoking, incorporating more physical activity into the daily routine, or using diets like the DASH diet to cut back on unhealthy dietary elements like salt. Many of these changes can be done alone but some are best done with the help of your care provider.

“When it comes to cardiovascular disease, you can control your fates to some extent by eating right, exercising, and seeing your primary care providers to know what your risk factors actually are,” said Dr. Pap.

For more information on the cardiovascular care available at UP Health System, visit mgh.org/our-services/heart-and-vascular or call 906-449-3440.

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