Preventing disease is the best approach to cardiovascular care. Work with a physician who puts prevention first and is able to assess your risk for cardiovascular disease before it affects your health in a serious way.
An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of Cure.
- Benjamin Franklin
Preventive cardiology is an emerging field of cardiovascular disease practice that is taking our ability to predict disease and doing something before our patients suffer serious health problems. Most healthcare administered today is for patients who have already had health problems(Heart attack, stroke, TIA, etc.) or complications of chronic disease(High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Cholesterol) that require specilized care. The unfortunate news here is that in many cases an effort to prevent the disease could have completely saved a patient from a poor health outcome.
- Who can qualify for preventive cardiovascular care?
Anyone can, since cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in our country, practically every single person can benefit from a cardiovascular risk analysis for future events.
- Do I have to have health problems to start getting preventative cardiovascular care?
Absolutely not. In fact, if you wait till you health issues like obesity, blood pressure, diabetes or cholesterol, you are missing an opportunity to get infront of cardiovascular disease. If you start early preventing disease, much like a retirement account, you will have preserved your health for years to come and enjoy the benefits of good health into your later years.
- What tools does a doctor use to figure out if somebody has cardiovascular risks?
We always start with thorough conversation and exam with a provider, making sure to cover your overall health as well as important details like your family history and any habits that may be elevating your cardiovascular risk. After which a vast array of blood work and other types of tests can be used to determine your risk. Not all patients will need all types of testing and we only recommend what we feel is necessary.
Hopefully this short read gives you some valuable information and gives you some motiviation to invest in your health!