Much of what we do involves the prevention or care of heart disease.
Risk factors for heart disease include:
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- cholesterol disorders
- family history
- obesity
- stress
- sedentary lifestyle
If you are concerned about heart disease, please look to the American Heart Association's Heart Disease Risk Calculator, please click the link below:
AHA Cardiovascular Risk Calculator
(click above)
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, some individuals may qualify for the use of a "statin" medication based on their calculated 10-year risk of heart attack.
The American Heart Association published guidelines in 2013 regarding statin use. They are highlighted below.
Summary: Click Here
The new guideline recommends moderate- or high-intensity statin therapy for these four groups:
Patients who have cardiovascular disease;
Patients with an LDL, or “bad” cholesterol level of 190 mg/dL or higher;
Patients with Type 2 diabetes who are between 40 and 75 years of age; and
Patients with an estimated 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease of 7.5 percent or higher who are between 40 and 75 years of age (the report provides formulas for calculating 10-year risk).