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Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD

Accepting New Patients

(Dr. Carolyn Joyce Van Why, MD)

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Specializes in: Vascular Medicine (Blood Vessel Disease), Nuclear Cardiology and Adult Cardiology

UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Professional interests include: endocarditis, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), cholesterol problems (lipid disorders), and more.

125 Medical Campus Drive
Lansdale, PA 19446

(215) 361-5020

Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD is a vascular medicine specialist in Lansdale, PA specializing in vascular medicine (blood vessel disease), nuclear cardiology and adult cardiology. She graduated from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD is affiliated with Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia (CCP), Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Jefferson Lansdale Hospital.

Office Locations

Address:

125 Medical Campus Drive
Lansdale, PA 19446

Some issues Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD 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 Attack

A heart attack is a serious medical event that happens when the blood supplying oxygen to the heart is cut off, usually because of a blockage in an artery. This results in damage or death of part of the heart muscle. The heart can heal, but like any part of the body that was injured it leaves a scar. This scar tissue does not contract effectively, so the ability of the heart to pump is lowered after a heart attack.

A heart attack, sometimes called a myocardial infarction, can happen without warning. However there are certain factors that raise the risk of heart attack. Some of these are:

Age
Gender (most heart attack sufferers are male)
A family history of heart attacks
Smoking
Obesity
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Unhealthy lifestyle choices (lack of exercise, poor diet, too much alcohol or stress)

Heart attacks typically feel like pain or pressure in the chest that can radiate out to the back, arm, or jaw. Some other symptoms can include fatigue or weakness, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea.

Treatment aims to increase blood flow to the heart muscle by opening up blocked blood vessels. Medications are sometimes used to dissolve clots in the arteries. Aspirin and other medications such as Plavix can thin the blood and make clots less likely to form. Dilators can widen blood vessels to make room for more blood to flow. Doctors can also use a procedure called catheterization to look at the blood vessels around the heart directly, place stents, or widen vessels using angioplasty. In extreme cases bypass surgery can be used to help blood flow better. After recovery, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle and take any prescribed medications in order to protect the heart.

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.

cardiac procedures	216
doctor visit	132
hospital care	53
inpatient care	53
nuclear scan	35
stress testing	78
ultrasound (sonogram)	138

**Gender**
Male	302
Female	354

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	592
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	28
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	214
From 75 to 84	244
85 and over	146
Less than 65	52

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	60
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	31
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	37
Dementia	16
Cancer	13

ambulatory monitoring	43
cardiac procedures	775
doctor visit	729
hospital care	156
inpatient care	156
nuclear scan	131
stress testing	284
ultrasound (sonogram)	460

**Gender**
Male	408
Female	545

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	852
Black	38
Hispanic	0
Asian	42
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	329
From 75 to 84	318
85 and over	243
Less than 65	63

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	37
Asthma	19
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	34
Dementia	16
Cancer	14

**Gender**
Male	478
Female	606

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	972
Black	46
Hispanic	0
Asian	41
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	390
From 75 to 84	368
85 and over	251
Less than 65	75

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	52
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	39
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	26
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	33
Dementia	15
Cancer	14

ambulatory monitoring	34
cardiac procedures	605
doctor visit	950
hospital care	255
inpatient care	255
nuclear scan	117
stress testing	243
ultrasound (sonogram)	327

**Gender**
Male	442
Female	540

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	879
Black	31
Hispanic	0
Asian	41
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	359
From 75 to 84	340
85 and over	227
Less than 65	56

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	15
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	31
Heart Failure	35
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	34
Dementia	17
Cancer	12

ambulatory monitoring	25
cardiac procedures	521
doctor visit	1063
hospital care	287
inpatient care	287
nuclear scan	107
stress testing	253
ultrasound (sonogram)	242

**Gender**
Male	644
Female	801

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1289
Black	53
Hispanic	20
Asian	54
Other	29
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	527
From 75 to 84	490
85 and over	348
Less than 65	80

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	13
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	32
Heart Failure	33
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	21
Diabetes	36
Dementia	20
Cancer	15

ambulatory monitoring	11
cardiac procedures	397
doctor visit	692
hospital care	145
inpatient care	145
nuclear scan	46
stress testing	161
ultrasound (sonogram)	224

**Gender**
Male	685
Female	855

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1351
Black	59
Hispanic	25
Asian	66
Other	39
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	545
From 75 to 84	525
85 and over	368
Less than 65	102

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	13
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	34
Chronic Kidney Disease	48
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	35
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	34
Dementia	23
Cancer	14

ambulatory monitoring	42
cardiac procedures	1134
doctor visit	2338
hospital care	188
inpatient care	188
nuclear scan	126
stress testing	445
ultrasound (sonogram)	646

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2015 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD treated as a vascular medicine specialist in Lansdale, PA were cardiac procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), stress testing and hospital care.

ambulatory monitoring	31
cardiac procedures	635
doctor visit	967
hospital care	188
inpatient care	188
nuclear scan	98
stress testing	249
ultrasound (sonogram)	361

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2015 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD.

**Gender**
Male	295
Female	370

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	22
Asian / Pacific Islander	27
Non-Hispanic White	593
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	4
Other	6

**Age**
85 and over	158
75 to 84	228
Less than 65	42
65 to 74	236

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD From 2015 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD treated were high cholesterol, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	45
High Cholesterol	44
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	6
Osteoporosis	6
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	20
Atrial Fibrillation	17
Dementia	10
Cancer	8

Education & Training

Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD graduated from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She completed residency at Jefferson University Hospitals. She is certified by the Internal Medicine Cardiology and has a state license in Pennsylvania.

Medical School: UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Residency: Jefferson University Hospitals

Board Certification: Internal Medicine Cardiology

Licensed In: Pennsylvania

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia (CCP)

Jefferson Health

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Jefferson Lansdale Hospital

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Keystone Health Plan East, CIGNA Medicare, United Healthcare, Blue Cross Federal, CIGNA Commercial, Humana, Personal Choice, Medicare FFS, Keystone First VIP, Aetna Commercial - Excludes Marketplace Plans and Independence Blue Cross - Various plans.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

Keystone Health Plan East

CIGNA Medicare

United Healthcare

Blue Cross Federal

CIGNA Commercial

Humana

Personal Choice

Medicare FFS

Keystone First VIP

Aetna Commercial - Excludes Marketplace Plans

Independence Blue Cross - Various plans

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Ratings & Reviews

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Carolyn J. Van Why, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc	$349 XARELTO $349
St. Jude Medical, Inc.	$144 CRM $122	Vascular $23
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP	$101 BRILINTA $101
Abbott Laboratories	$99 Connectivity and Remote care $70	CardioMEMS $28
Boston Scientific Corporation	$84 WATCHMAN $84
Other	$255 ELIQUIS $59	LifeVest $58	ANGIOMAX $27	VYNDAMAX $27	VYNDAQEL $24	Other $61

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$739
Education	$293

Biography

Dr. Carolyn Van Why is a specialist in adult cardiology, nuclear cardiology, and vascular medicine (blood vessel disease). She works in Lansdale, PA. Her areas of expertise include mitral valve prolapse, nuclear cardiology, and atherosclerosis. Dr. Van Why appears to be in-network for Blue Cross, Blue California, and Independence Blue Cross, in addition to other insurance carriers. She obtained her medical school training at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and performed her residency at Jefferson University Hospitals. Her professional affiliations include Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia (CCP). Jefferson Health reports that she is accepting new patients at her office in Lansdale, PA.