Heart Disease Prevention

Preventing Heart Disease

How to prevent heart disease?

Preventive cardiology is a dedicated section of cardiology that specializes in assessing patients’ risk for heart disease and developing a plan that will prevent or slow the progression of heart disease for long-term success. Preventive cardiology is typically separated into two types of care:

• Primary prevention, which works to reduce the risks of developing heart disease by creating a treatment plan that will prevent that first heart attack or stroke based on an individual’s risk factors.
• Secondary prevention, which is used to slow the progression of existing heart disease by taking preventive action early to avoid any additional cardiovascular events, such as a second heart attack and stroke.

If you (or family members) are concerned about being at risk for cardiovascular disease, UChicago Medicine's preventive cardiology team can evaluate your heart and provide you with tools and therapies that will aid in the prevention of heart disease.

When should I see a preventive cardiologist?

There are several risk factors, including hereditary factors, that can increase your likelihood of having heart disease in your lifetime. If one or more of the following risk factors apply to you, or your family members, you should see a preventive cardiologist to assess your heart health and identify what can be done to address any existing or possible cardiovascular conditions sooner.

Early Risk Factors or Signs for Heart Disease

• Previous heart and/or vascular diagnosis/event, such as heart attack, stroke or peripheral artery disease, increases your chances of developing a subsequent cardiovascular event.
• Personal history of cardiovascular disease, especially in women below age 65 or men below age 55
• Family history of heart disease has been shown that there are higher incidences of heart disease if one or more family members have been previously diagnosed
• High levels of lipoprotein (a) can increase the chances of atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in arteries that lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, vascular disease and more
• Difficulty controlling risk factors for atherosclerosis, particularly if you have any cholesterol disorders or high blood pressure
• Inflammatory disorders like systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, Sjogren’s disease, systemic sclerosis and HIV put patients at higher risk for heart disease
• Female-specific risk enhancers, such as high blood pressure during pregnancy/preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, pre-term birth and premature menopause (before age 40)/menopause/perimenopause increase the changes of cardiovascular issues over time.
• Existing health issues or comorbidities can damage the heart over time, such as uncontrolled, untreated or unmitigated:
  
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood sugar, prediabetes or diabetes
  • Obesity, especially with excess abdominal fat
  • Smoking
  • Unhealthy diet
  • Lack of exercise/sedentary lifestyle
• Incidental finding of coronary artery calcification noted on chest CT or other imaging studies identifies plaque in the arteries which can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and other heart diseases

Our preventive cardiology experts can determine your unique risks, medical history and any comorbidities that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and heart disease, and will address these conditions early, putting UChicago Medicine at the forefront of treating or preventing heart disease.