Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you cannot change some risk factors—such as family history or age—there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take. Byron Vandenberg, MD cardiologist at University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center, talks about way to prevent heart disease:
Who is at risk for developing heart disease?
Risk factors for coronary heart disease include:
- Age—45 or over in men and 55 or over in women;
- Cigarette smoking
- Hypertension
- Diabetes mellitus
- Cholesterol—Elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol or low HDL (good) cholesterol
- Family history of early coronary disease
The more of these risk factors, the greater the risk.
What steps can be taken to prevent heart disease?
Heart disease prevention starts by following a healthy lifestyle. That means don’t smoke cigarettes; exercise regularly (ideally 30 minutes a day); and eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet is one that’s low in saturated and trans-fatty acids as well as low in dietary cholesterol. A good example of a diet that’s low in saturated fats and cholesterol is the traditional Mediterranean diet. In this diet, unsaturated fats replace most of the saturated or animal fats. The traditional Japanese diet also is low in saturated fat but high in complex carbohydrates. Interestingly, both of these diets are associated with the best life expectancies in the world. Finally, salt intake should be reduced to less than 5 grams/day in those with high blood pressure. In terms of screening for risk factors, a fasting cholesterol profile should be checked at age 20 and re-checked every five years. Medical therapy may be needed to improve cholesterol problems, depending on the number of risk factors. Blood pressure should be checked and treated if over 140/90. And finally, obesity places the individual at risk for diabetes mellitus, so steps toward weight loss are also important.
If there is a family history of heart disease, are there any additional steps to take to prevent or slow the process?
If the family history of heart disease is due to inherited abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism, drug therapy can improve longevity and decrease risk. For example, there are genetic problems; genetic mutations that make it difficult to clear the LDL (bad) cholesterol from the bloodstream. This does place people at increased risk. Fortunately, medications such as the statins can increase the removal of that bad cholesterol by the liver.
Does UI Heart and Vascular Center offer teaching or training for people who have not experienced a heart attack or have detected heart disease – as a preventive measure?
Yes. The center offers a comprehensive heart risk assessment program. This includes a lipid profile and glucose testing, an electrocardiogram, a blood pressure check, weight analysis, and then consultation with a cardiac specialist to assess the risk of heart disease. Then follow-up physician referrals can be made if needed.
What about exercise programs?
In addition to the comprehensive assessment, exercise consultation is available. A treadmill exercise test is performed by an exercise specialist and an exercise prescription is provided.
Is the program covered by insurance?
Not at this time; however, the cost is low:
- $60 for the comprehensive heart risk assessment and this includes labs, blood pressure check, electrocardiogram, and consultation for risk assessment
- $185 for the addition of the treadmill exercise test
Those with flexible spending employee benefits can use that benefit to pay for the program.
If someone is interested in participating in the prevention program, who would they contact?
Appointments for this program can be scheduled by calling the UI Heart and Vascular Center, at 319-356-2777. |
