Prevention Of Heart Disease

What services does Dr. Daneshrad offer for heart disease prevention?

One of the most important services offered is a cardiac evaluation and consultation. During the appointment, Dr. Daneshrad will evaluate your risks for heart disease and discuss the important steps you can take to decrease those risks. Even if you aren't exhibiting noticeable symptoms of heart disease, having an evaluation can help identify “silent” or hard-to-spot risks like high blood pressure and high cholesterol that could be placing you at high risk even without causing noticeable symptoms.

What are the risk factors for heart disease?

The most common risk factors include:

• older age
• male gender
• obesity or being overweight
• diabetes
• smoking
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol levels
• sedentary lifestyle
• family history of heart disease

Some risk factors can be lessened with lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, exercising or eating a healthy diet; others may require medication. And of course, some risk factors like age and gender cannot be changed.

How can I prevent heart disease?

That depends in part on your risk factors and any signs or symptoms you might currently be experiencing. Some people can manage their risks with simple lifestyle changes while others may also need medication. Here are few of the most important ways to prevent heart disease:

• Follow a low-fat, high-fiber diet.
• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
• Control your alcohol consumption, limiting it to one to two drinks per day.
• Take blood pressure medicine to control hypertension when necessary.
• Lose weight if you're overweight or obese.
• Become more active, exercising at least 30 minutes three times a week.
• If you're diabetic, make sure to keep your blood sugar levels under control.
• Lower cholesterol with medication when needed.
• See a cardiologist for regular assessments and evaluations to determine if your needs or risks change over time.