Management of Coronary Artery Disease in New York

Do you feel pressure in your chest or have shortness of breath during exercise and other physical activity? You could be experiencing symptoms of coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States and is the most common form of heart disease. When you have this disease, your heart muscle may not get enough blood due to chronic or acute blockages in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (“coronary arteries”), which can lead to serious problems such as a heart attack. Many people actually find out they have coronary artery disease when they have a heart attack.

Coronary artery disease is caused by cholesterol build-up in the arteries, and made worse by inflammation in the bloodstream. This means that fatty deposits called plaque build up inside the arteries. If you are not familiar, arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. Some common risk factors of coronary artery disease are being over 65, smoking, having high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and having a history of heart disease in your family. Other symptoms of coronary artery disease people may experience, besides chest pain and shortness of breath, include a fast heartbeat, feeling nauseous, and increased sweating. Some people might not even experience any symptoms at all, which is why it is crucially important to detect its presence at the earliest possible stages.

Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease in NYC

Treatment for coronary artery disease focuses on lowering your risk for heart attack and stroke and managing your symptoms. Lifestyle and dietary changes are vital, and can often make a huge difference in the outcomes of this disease. Medications and certain procedures are also mainstays of therapy, with new breakthroughs for dramatically lowering cholesterol recently approved.  Lifestyle changes include quitting smoking, eating heart healthy foods, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy weight, keeping a healthy mental attitude, lowering your stress level, and limiting your alcohol intake. A cardiac rehabilitation program can help you make these changes by using exercise, education, and group emotional support to help to deal with this common disease.

Medicines are used to help lower cholesterol and high blood pressure if present, to treat inflammation in the vessel, to improve overall blood vessel health, as well as to manage chest discomfort, and lower your risk of having a heart attack. Procedures may also be necessary to improve blood flow to the heart, such as an angioplasty or bypass surgery.

At Preventive Cardiology of New York we offer Consultative Cardiology services and welcome the opportunity to evaluate, treat, and manage various forms of cardiovascular symptoms and disease. If you think you are experiencing symptoms of coronary artery disease or are at risk, we can identify disease at its EARLIEST STAGES.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us today!