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Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology

Accepting New Patients

(Dr. James Willems, M.D.)

(434 Ratings)

Specializes in: Adult Cardiology

University of Virginia School of Medicine (1995)

Professional interests include: pain, chronic kidney disease (CKD), coronary artery disease, and more.

1101 Madison Street Suite 301
Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 505-1300

Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology is a cardiologist in Seattle, WA specializing in adult cardiology. He graduated from University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1995 and has 29 years of experience. Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology is affiliated with PacMed Clinics.

Office Locations

Address:

1101 Madison Street Suite 301
Seattle, WA 98104

Address:

1145 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122

Some issues Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology can help you with:

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease. It happens when the blood vessels carrying blood to the heart, called coronary arteries, narrow and harden. This occurs when cholesterol, a type of fat found in the blood, builds up to form plaque, which sticks to the inner walls of the arteries. As plaque accumulates, less blood can flow through the arteries, which may lead to the following:

Angina, which is chest pain that occurs when the heart does not receive enough blood flow.
Heart attack, which happens if the arteries leading to the heart are completely blocked.
Arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, which can develop if the heart does not have enough blood supply.
Heart failure, which may occur if a heart attack damages the heart and it becomes too weak to pump enough blood to the rest of the body.

Certain factors may increase risk for the disease, like smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. CAD tends to develop over decades, so it can go undetected until it has become quite severe. A diagnosis may be established using such tests as:

Electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the heart's electrical activity over a period of time. ECGs can detect whether there is enough blood flow to the heart or if a heart attack has occurred.
Echocardiogram (echo), which creates images of the heart using sound waves. Echos can show whether the heart is able to pump blood normally.
Stress tests, where an ECG or echo is combined with exercise, like riding a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill. This test is done to find out if the heart can function properly while performing a strenuous activity.

Treatments for the disease include medications such as vasodilators, like nitroglycerin, which dilates (widens) the coronary arteries. CAD may also be treated by a procedure called angioplasty with stent placement, where a balloon is inflated inside a diseased artery to flatten the plaque deposits against the artery walls, creating more room for blood to flow.

In some severe cases of the disease, multiple arteries may be blocked, and an open heart surgery called coronary artery bypass surgery may be necessary. This operation transplants a vessel from another part of the body to form a graft that goes past the narrowed arteries, thus enabling blood to flow around those arteries.

Heart Problems

The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. This smooth muscle expands and contracts rhythmically an entire lifetime, pumping blood to the lungs and then to every other cell in the body. When heart problems occur, it becomes difficult for the body to get the nutrients and oxygen it needs via the blood. So while there are a variety of illnesses and disorders that affect the heart, most of them cause weakness, exhaustion and shortness of breath. The most common heart conditions include heart disease, angina, arrhythmia, and valve disorders.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. This includes coronary artery disease, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. Some conditions, such as genetics, cannot be controlled. But there are many other things one can do to lower their risk for heart disease. Controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing or stopping smoking, exercising more and losing weight if needed, and eating a diet low in sodium can all protect the heart.

Angina is a squeezing type of chest pain that happens when the muscles around the heart don't get enough oxygen. It can be regular or infrequent. Usually, angina is caused by coronary heart disease. However, not all chest pain is angina. Chest pain can also be caused by a lung infection or panic attack, for example, so it is important to have any sudden pain checked.

Arrhythmia is the word for when the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly with skipped beats. It can feel frightening, and depending on the type it can be dangerous, but in most cases arrhythmia is not serious and can be treated. It is very common, especially in older adults.

Heart valve problems can happen in any one of the the heart's four valves that keep blood flowing where it needs to go. Babies can be born with problems in their heart valves, or valves can be damaged by infections. The valves can stiffen and become less mobile, or they can stop closing properly and 'leak' when the heart beats. Valve problems can usually be repaired surgically.

ambulatory monitoring	52
blood draw	284
cardiac procedures	533
doctor visit	1946
hospital care	282
inpatient care	282
lab tests	1326
nuclear scan	121
preventive care	117
stress testing	239
thyroid function tests	39
ultrasound (sonogram)	265

**Gender**
Male	589
Female	480

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	872
Black	71
Hispanic	0
Asian	72
Other	32
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	408
From 75 to 84	381
85 and over	215
Less than 65	65

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	53
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	34
Heart Failure	30
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	26
Dementia	9
Cancer	14

**Gender**
Male	544
Female	439

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	803
Black	58
Hispanic	0
Asian	68
Other	31
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	371
From 75 to 84	363
85 and over	208
Less than 65	41

Hypertension	72
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	38
Heart Failure	30
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	26
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

ambulatory monitoring	65
blood draw	234
cardiac procedures	511
doctor visit	2120
hospital care	177
inpatient care	177
lab tests	1457
nuclear scan	122
preventive care	110
stress testing	252
thyroid function tests	60
ultrasound (sonogram)	210

**Gender**
Male	1108
Female	908

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1636
Black	114
Hispanic	0
Asian	150
Other	76
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	768
From 75 to 84	718
85 and over	438
Less than 65	92

Hypertension	70
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	52
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	38
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	25
Dementia	9
Cancer	12

ambulatory monitoring	73
blood draw	204
cardiac procedures	566
doctor visit	1935
hospital care	140
inpatient care	140
lab tests	1294
nuclear scan	109
preventive care	143
stress testing	255
thyroid function tests	74
ultrasound (sonogram)	275

**Gender**
Male	550
Female	469

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	843
Black	52
Hispanic	0
Asian	68
Other	40
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	431
From 75 to 84	363
85 and over	190
Less than 65	35

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	53
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	26
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	25
Dementia	8
Cancer	12

ambulatory monitoring	65
blood draw	223
cardiac procedures	590
doctor visit	2231
hospital care	107
inpatient care	107
lab tests	1569
nuclear scan	109
preventive care	106
stress testing	252
thyroid function tests	48
ultrasound (sonogram)	305

**Gender**
Male	616
Female	465

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	879
Black	59
Hispanic	0
Asian	78
Other	49
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	447
From 75 to 84	385
85 and over	210
Less than 65	39

Hypertension	69
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	37
Heart Failure	25
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	24
Dementia	8
Cancer	12

ambulatory monitoring	55
blood draw	254
cardiac procedures	562
doctor visit	1913
hospital care	121
inpatient care	121
lab tests	1239
nuclear scan	120
preventive care	109
stress testing	269
thyroid function tests	59
ultrasound (sonogram)	268

**Gender**
Male	580
Female	443

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	842
Black	48
Hispanic	0
Asian	57
Other	48
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	402
From 75 to 84	410
85 and over	184
Less than 65	27

Hypertension	72
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	37
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	25
Dementia	8
Cancer	14

ambulatory monitoring	62
blood draw	219
cardiac procedures	589
doctor visit	1523
hospital care	81
inpatient care	81
lab tests	827
nuclear scan	115
preventive care	126
stress testing	265
thyroid function tests	59
ultrasound (sonogram)	294

**Gender**
Male	567
Female	425

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	818
Black	46
Hispanic	0
Asian	64
Other	48
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	399
From 75 to 84	395
85 and over	174
Less than 65	24

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	55
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	38
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	23
Dementia	8
Cancer	14

ambulatory monitoring	35
blood draw	161
cardiac procedures	394
doctor visit	1283
hospital care	28
inpatient care	28
lab tests	705
nuclear scan	77
preventive care	124
stress testing	159
thyroid function tests	52
ultrasound (sonogram)	225

**Gender**
Male	513
Female	362

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	723
Black	45
Hispanic	0
Asian	45
Other	45
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	319
From 75 to 84	382
85 and over	153
Less than 65	21

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	55
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	37
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	22
Dementia	9
Cancer	13

ambulatory monitoring	49
blood draw	137
cardiac procedures	493
doctor visit	1752
hospital care	26
inpatient care	26
lab tests	343
nuclear scan	97
preventive care	85
stress testing	181
thyroid function tests	36
ultrasound (sonogram)	303

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology treated as a cardiologist in Seattle, WA were lab tests, cardiac procedures, ultrasound (sonogram) and stress testing.

ambulatory monitoring	57
blood draw	213
cardiac procedures	526
doctor visit	1844
hospital care	134
inpatient care	134
lab tests	1104
nuclear scan	108
preventive care	113
stress testing	233
thyroid function tests	52
ultrasound (sonogram)	263

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology.

**Gender**
Male	506
Female	399

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	49
Asian / Pacific Islander	60
Non-Hispanic White	741
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	36

**Age**
75 to 84	339
85 and over	177
Less than 65	34
65 to 74	354

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and atrial fibrilation.

Hypertension	56
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	42
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	6
Osteoporosis	6
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	19
Atrial Fibrillation	27
Cancer	10
Dementia	6

Education & Training

Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology graduated from University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1995. He has a state license in Washington.

Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine (1995)

Licensed In: Washington

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

PacMed Clinics

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.96 out of 5 stars based on 434 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. James (Jim) Willems, MD, Cardiology from all over the web to help you find the right in Seattle, WA.

4.96

Overall Rating

(434 Ratings)

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Reviews From Around The Web

Overall Rating: 5.0 2024-05-14