You probably carve time out of your busy schedule to see medical specialists for a wide range of issues, from cleaning your teeth to treating your allergies. If you consider that nearly half of the adult population in the United States has some form of cardiovascular disease, regular visits to the cardiologist should top most healthcare lists.
To give you an idea of the importance of regular cardiology care, Farhad Aduli, MD, FACC, and the rest of the highly qualified team here at Louisiana Heart and Vascular, want to focus on four reasons why you should make visiting a cardiologist a priority in your health care routine.
It’s hard to avoid frightening statistics when it comes to cardiovascular health. As we’ve already stated, nearly half of adults in the United States have some form of cardiovascular disease. More frightening is the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States, and one person succumbs to cardiovascular disease every 36 seconds in this country.
These statistics are incredibly sobering and underscore the importance of getting regular cardiology care.
While the statistics we mention above are certainly eye-opening, the numbers that concern us as cardiologists are these reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
As health care providers, we’re very concerned by these numbers, and we want to do our part to bring them down. You can do your part by seeing us for preventive care that could potentially save your life, no matter your age, gender, or race.
One of the reasons many people don’t see a cardiologist is because some forms of heart disease don’t present any symptoms. For example, one of the most common cardiovascular issues is hypertension, or high blood pressure.
This condition is largely asymptomatic, which is how it earned the moniker “the silent killer.” Unfortunately, the first side effect people with hypertension may experience is one that’s very serious, such as a heart attack or stroke.
Another example of this is coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the most common type of heart disease in the United States, affecting more than 18 million people over age 20. Coronary artery disease is a narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart. Called atherosclerosis, this narrowing is primarily caused by a buildup of cholesterol-containing deposits called plaques and the blockages develop gradually.
Some people may feel symptoms of CAD, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue, while others don’t report any side effects, even when they have severe atherosclerosis.
In coming to see us regularly, we can check for these conditions, and others, to help ward off the unthinkable.
At our practice, we provide critical screening tools during your regular cardiology consultations that can help us expertly monitor your cardiovascular health. These tools include:
If we find a problem during your screening, we can intervene and take the necessary steps to avoid a much larger cardiovascular issue. If we find nothing amiss, you can have peace of mind knowing that your cardiovascular system is working as it should.
The value of having experienced and expert oversight of your cardiovascular health is almost without limits, and we urge you to make your heart health a priority. To get started, call 985-231-5713 or book an appointment online with Louisiana Heart and Vascular today. We’re located in Covington, Louisiana, and we also serve patients from Mandeville and Slidell.
