Heart Disease Prevention & Support
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At UVA Health, we offer checkups and screenings at convenient locations throughout Charlottesville and surrounding areas. We provide general cardiology care, as well as specialists who treat the most complex heart problems.
Lower Your Risk for Heart Disease
Healthy eating and exercise can help you:
- Improve your cholesterol and blood pressure
- Lower your blood sugar or control diabetes
- Lose weight
Symptoms of Heart Disease
Cardiologist Todd Villines, MD, speaks to the symptoms, prevention measures and treatment of heart disease offered by UVA’s team of specialists.
Heart disease is a very broad term. I think most people who think of heart disease think of heart attacks or coronary artery disease, and that certainly is the most common form of heart disease. But it's certainly much broader than that. It includes things such as diseases at the heart muscle, or heart failure where the heart doesn't either contract or relax normally. It includes valve diseases, diseases of the electrical system of the heart, and even diseases of the lining of the heart. I think most people associate chest pain or chest pressure or chest discomfort as a sign of heart disease, and that certainly is the most common symptom that we see in patients who present with coronary artery disease or heart disease. But it's broader than that. We know that many other symptoms can be a sign of heart disease. These include breathlessness, shortness of breath, the inability to do exercises that someone could once do quite easily, fatigue even, patients who come in with rapid heartbeats, swelling in the ankles, really just a change in their ability to do their routine activities. Heart disease is really a complex condition that can be caused by many factors. Of course, coronary artery disease, which is a buildup of plaque in the heart arteries. It can be caused by high cholesterol, high blood pressure, being overweight, smoking, not being active, as well as genetics can play a role. We know that treating those conditions really not only helps patients with established heart disease, but helps prevent coronary artery disease from ever forming in the first place. When patients come in with new symptoms that are concerning for heart disease, not only can they see us in various locations, but importantly, we have the ability to provide the advanced diagnostic testing that they may need. We have all forms of stress testing, all forms of imaging. We have all of the specialists that someone would ever need to evaluate them and care for them when they come to see us.
Conditions That Can Lead to Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure puts stress on the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys and blood vessels. Over time, this condition can damage these organs and tissues. Blood pressure measurements are read as two numbers:
- Systolic pressure: higher number, normal reading is 120 mmHg or less
- Diastolic pressure: lower number, normal reading is 80 mmHg or less
High blood pressure is defined as systolic pressure greater than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure greater than 90 mmHg. You're prehypertensive if your systolic blood pressure is between 120-139 mmHg or your diastolic pressure is between 80-89 mmHg.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of lipid in the blood. There are two different types of cholesterol in your blood:
- Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or "bad cholesterol" cause a build-up of cholesterol and other fats in the blood vessels. High levels can cause disease in the arteries and heart disease.
- High-density lipoproteins (HDL) or "good cholesterol" can remove cholesterol and other fats from the blood and protect against heart disease.
At UVA, our goal is to lower your LDL cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart disease and stroke.
High Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a form of fat in the body. High levels can result in coronary artery disease and stroke.
The National Cholesterol Education Program advises that you have your lipids checked at least once every five years, starting at age 20. You may need more frequent or earlier testing if you have a family history of hyperlipidemia or risk factors that may cause hyperlipidemia.
At UVA, we aim to provide treatment that lowers your triglyceride levels, as well as your overall risk for heart disease and stroke.
Heart Murmur
A heart murmur is a sound made by turbulent blood flow in the heart. It sounds like whooshing or swishing with each heartbeat. You can have a harmless, incidental heart murmur that's benign, or it can signal an underlying heart problem.
Benign murmurs are caused by the normal flow of blood through the heart and large vessels near the heart. The murmur may come and go over time.
Abnormal heart murmurs can be due to:
- Structural abnormalities of the heart valves
- Abnormal holes or connections in the structure of the heart or vessels persisting after birth
- Endocarditis
- Cardiac myxoma
- Structural abnormality of the heart muscle
- Other congenital heart conditions
- Nutritional Changes
- Lifestyle Changes
- Cholesterol-Lowering Medication
Diabetes & Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the U.S. and is the lead cause of diabetes-related disabilities and deaths.
Even if your diabetes is controlled, you’re still more at risk for:
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery disease
- Stroke
Diabetes thickens the lining of your blood vessels, which makes it harder for blood to pass through. It also contributes to heart disease and poor circulation. These risk factors together are known as metabolic syndrome.
Treatment for Diabetes & Heart Disease
At UVA, we’ll work with you to manage your heart disease and diabetes with:
- An exercise plan that helps you manage your condition
- Healthy eating tips
- Techniques to help with stress and coping
The prevention experts at the Heart & Vascular Center can help you stop cardiovascular issues before they start.
Blog Heart Prevention Tag Feed
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