Preventive Cardiology Program
Patients may want to explore their heart disease risk and discuss ways
to optimize that risk. The program is not intended to evaluate ongoing
heart disease symptoms, which can be better done in a regular cardiology
consultation.
What might a consultation entail:
You will be asked about your medical and family history as well as your
lifestyle factors that may impact your heart disease risk (diet, sleep,
exercise, smoking, stress). A heart-focused physical examination and electrocardiogram
(EKG) will be done, followed by a discussion of your cardiovascular risk
assessment, recommendations to manage that risk, and in some cases, orders
for further heart testing.
What might a treatment plan look like:
Possible treatment options range from paying more attention to a healthy
diet and exercise and getting better sleep to further testing (heart artery
imaging, polygenic risk score measurement) and in some cases, medication
recommendations for health factors including cholesterol and blood pressure.
Our goal is to address risk factors early, to prevent heart and vascular
problems later in life.
Where should patients start if they believe they are a good candidate to
visit our Preventative Cardiology program:
Patients interested in the program are encouraged to discuss it with their
physicians, who can then send a referral. Interested patients can be self-referred, as well.