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Dr. Karla Christo, MD

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Specializes in: Family Medicine

Professional interests include: type 2 diabetes, pain, coronary artery disease, and more.

155 FRANKLIN ROAD
Fitchburg, MA 01420

(978) 345-1919

Dr. Karla Christo, MD is a family medicine practitioner in Fitchburg, MA specializing in family medicine. Dr. Karla Christo, MD is affiliated with UMASS MEMORIAL MEDICAL GROUP INC.

Office Locations

Address:

155 FRANKLIN ROAD
Fitchburg, MA 01420

Some issues Dr. Karla Christo, 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 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.

doctor visit	625
lab tests	21
preventive care	56
vaccines	56

**Gender**
Male	106
Female	145

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	172
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	66
From 75 to 84	27
85 and over	24
Less than 65	134

Hypertension	44
High Cholesterol	35
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	20
Depression	42
Chronic Kidney Disease	17
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	6
Atrial Fibrilation	5
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	27
Dementia	8
Cancer	5

doctor visit	617
lab tests	155
preventive care	41
vaccines	41

**Gender**
Male	92
Female	159

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	180
Black	0
Hispanic	60
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	82
From 75 to 84	37
85 and over	24
Less than 65	108

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	43
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	20
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	32
Dementia	8
Cancer	7

doctor visit	621
lab tests	179
preventive care	93
vaccines	93

**Gender**
Male	216
Female	322

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	400
Black	0
Hispanic	112
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	168
From 75 to 84	68
85 and over	56
Less than 65	246

Hypertension	52
High Cholesterol	40
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	21
Depression	42
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	7
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	29
Dementia	9
Cancer	6

doctor visit	634
lab tests	56
preventive care	72
vaccines	72

**Gender**
Male	111
Female	153

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	192
Black	0
Hispanic	55
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	83
From 75 to 84	33
85 and over	24
Less than 65	124

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	39
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	21
Depression	43
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	24
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	28
Dementia	9
Cancer	6

doctor visit	650
preventive care	72
vaccines	72

**Gender**
Male	108
Female	136

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	179
Black	0
Hispanic	48
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	87
From 75 to 84	40
85 and over	23
Less than 65	94

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	29
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	36
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	34
Dementia	9
Cancer	7

doctor visit	755
lab tests	11
preventive care	71
vaccines	71

**Gender**
Male	127
Female	149

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	212
Black	0
Hispanic	50
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	110
From 75 to 84	49
85 and over	27
Less than 65	90

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	49
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	33
Dementia	10
Cancer	6

doctor visit	767
lab tests	9
preventive care	120
vaccines	120

**Gender**
Male	110
Female	141

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	192
Black	0
Hispanic	44
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	111
From 75 to 84	48
85 and over	29
Less than 65	63

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	28
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	34
Dementia	9
Cancer	10

doctor visit	498
preventive care	82
vaccines	82

**Gender**
Male	98
Female	127

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	175
Black	0
Hispanic	36
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	98
From 75 to 84	50
85 and over	20
Less than 65	57

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	49
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	29
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	31
Dementia	8
Cancer	12

doctor visit	1276
lab tests	28
preventive care	119
vaccines	119

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Karla Christo, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Karla Christo, MD treated as a family medicine practitioner in Fitchburg, MA were preventive care, vaccines and lab tests.

doctor visit	717
lab tests	69
preventive care	82
vaccines	82

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karla Christo, MD.

**Gender**
Male	96
Female	133

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	170
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	40
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	35
85 and over	22
Less than 65	91
65 to 74	80

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Karla Christo, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Karla Christo, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, depression and diabetes.

Hypertension	45
High Cholesterol	33
Stroke	1
Ischemic Heart Disease	17
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	18
Asthma	12
Osteoporosis	4
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	24
Atrial Fibrillation	6
Cancer	5
Dementia	7

Education & Training

She has a state license in Massachusetts.

Licensed In: Massachusetts

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Karla Christo, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UMASS MEMORIAL MEDICAL GROUP INC

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Biography

Dr. Karla Christo works as a family medicine. Dr. Christo's areas of clinical interest consist of pain, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease. According to Doctor.com, new patients are welcome to contact her office in Fitchburg, MA.