Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States. More than one million people die annually – more than from all forms of cancer combined – with half of those from Coronary Heart Disease. Although CVD is both common and deadly, the chances of suffering from it can be lowered as much as 35% by identifying and aggressively controlling risk factors. The Center for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction is designed to do just that – identify risk factors that can increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and then develop a personalized plan to reduce or manage those risks.
The more common risk factors are:
- Obesity
- Cigarette smoking
- Diabetes
- Lack of exercise
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol level
- A family history of cardiovascular disease
The Center’s multidisciplinary approach includes professionals from several areas to provide the guidance and support you need to eliminate or reduce and manage the factors that lead to cardiovascular disease. The team includes dietitians, exercise physiologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists providing coordinated care under the direction of an experienced physician. Such a "team treatment" model has been shown to be highly effective in simultaneously managing all the risk factors that may coexist in a given patient.
Patients can refer themselves to the Center, or be referred by their primary care physicians, cardiologists, vascular or cardiovascular surgeons, gynecologists or neurologists.
At the conclusion of the initial visit, Center staff will create a personalized treatment program based on your unique needs. This may include smoking cessation, weight loss, stress reduction, modifying your diet, or beginning medications to lower blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol. Patients are usually seen again, once or twice, to make sure the treatment plan has been successfully launched, after which patients return to their primary care physicians for ongoing treatment.
Most insurance companies should cover the cost of the Center as long as the patient is referred by their primary care physician or cardiologist. Self-pay costs are available upon request, and are dependent on level of service and complexity. It is strongly recommended that you check with your health insurer prior to your first visit.