Heart Attack Prevention Specialist

What causes a heart attack?

Heart attacks, strokes, and other heart-related diseases are often the result of artery disease, known as atherosclerosis. This condition develops when cholesterol builds up in your arteries and hardens into plaque. This plaque creates a blockage that disrupts the blood flow to your heart, brain, and the rest of your body.

When deprived of oxygen-rich blood, your body doesn’t function properly, and your risk for heart damage, heart attack, and stroke increase.

What heart attack prevention services are available?

To identify conditions like atherosclerosis, the Cogent Family Healthcare team offers innovative diagnostic testing and artery wall disease assessments.

Your Cogent Family Healthcare provider may recommend diagnostic testing, like carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) testing and ultrasounds to identify existing artery disease. These tests identify the presence of plaque buildup in your arteries in the earliest stages, giving you a better chance for reversing the disease through lifestyle and diet changes.

In some cases, cholesterol-lowering medications may be necessary to control cholesterol and blood pressure toward preventing heart-related problems.

These same tests are also useful in evaluating the success of changes or treatments to reduce risk factors for heart attack and stroke. The results of IMT and other testing ensure you can make the most informed decisions about your treatment options with the guidance of your Cogent Family Healthcare provider.

When should I consider heart attack prevention services?

You may be a candidate for heart attack prevention services if you have specific risk factors for a heart attack, such as:

• Obesity
• Sleep apnea
• Smoking history
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Family history of heart attack or stroke

If you’re of South Asian descent, you may also be at higher risk for a heart attack, especially at a younger age.

Your Cogent Family Healthcare team evaluates your personal and family health history to identify factors that may increase your risk for a heart attack and stroke, and then they recommend testing based on your needs.

If you have risk factors for a heart attack, don’t delay a consultation to learn more about available heart attack prevention services. Schedule an appointment at Cogent Family Healthcare online or by calling the office today.