Preventive Cardiovascular Strategy

Causative Factors related to the Development of Cardiopulmonary Disease:

• Hypertension
• Elevated Total Cholesterol  Elevated LDL Cholesterol
• Elevated Serum Triglycerides
• Strong Family History of Early Cardiac Events
• Physical Inactivity
• Cigarette Smoking
• Obesity
• Postmenopausal State
• Inhaled Allergen Sensitivity
• Immunodeficiency
• Excessive Stress/Type A Personality
• Diabetes Mellitus, Types I and II

It is our belief that, once identified, the above causative factors must be as aggressively treated to prevent or retard the development of the conditions to which they predispose (angina pectoris, heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, and respiratory failure).

Screening For Cardiopulmonary Disease

During the course of your evaluation at the Heart-Lung Associates Office you may be identified as being at high risk of developing cardiopulmonary disease if you have one or more of the above known causative factors or have experienced any of the cardinal symptoms or signs of cardiopulmonary disease such as chest pain, back or arm pain, shortness of breath, palpitations or irregular heart beats, fatigue, fainting or loss of consciousness, wheezing during a chest cold, chronic unexplained cough, chronic mucus production, frequent bronchitis or pneumonia, edema of the extremities, or transient loss of vision or dizziness.

The good news is that you can significantly reduce your risk of developing disabling cardiopulmonary disease by careful identification and modification of the above causative factors.

Based on your individual profile, the program physicians (Dr. John E. Strobeck and Dr. Janet E. Strain, Cardiology, or Drs. Joseph Grizzanti, Marc Melamed, Evan Steinberg, and Wanda Choy, Pulmonary Medicine) may recommend one or more of the tests below to complete your evaluation:

Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic Testing:

• Isotope Cardiac Stress Test (Treadmill or Pharmacological)
• Cardiopulmonary Stress Test
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Complete Pulmonary Function Tests
• Computed Tomography
• Impedance Cardiography Pulse Oximetry
• Complete Blood Screening Fasting Lipid Profile Homocysteine and C-Reactive Protein Levels
• Allergy Testing
• Bone Densitometry
• Echocardiogram
• Carotid Ultrasound
• Extremity Vascular Ultrasound
• 24 Hour Holter Monitor
• Cardiac Event Monitoring
• Chest Xray

Develop Your Individual Program
for Success at Heart-Lung Associates

Cholesterol Reduction
Narrowing of the coronary arteries occurs more likely in patients with elevated serum cholesterol. If the serum cholesterol is lowered below 200 mg/dl and the LDL cholesterol is lowered below 100 mg/dl coronary plaque rarely develops and may actually regress. The therapeutic options available to reach your goal include diet and nutritional adjunctive therapy, hormone replacement therapy, and drug therapy.

Smoking Cessation
Helping you stop smoking presents a significant challenge, but also offers hope for a significant reward. Smoking acts to enhance the progression of plaque deposition in arteries and greatly increases the chances of developing a heart attack or stroke. YOU CAN STOP SMOKING! There are a number of different programs available to assist you in this most important effort. It is our belief that once you have resolved to quit, your success will be enhanced by our collective efforts to guide you and acknowledge your triumphs.

Aspirin or Anti-Platelet Therapy
It is highly recommended that you take aspirin in a dose of 162-325 mg once daily if you can. If your stomach won™t permit it due to symptoms of indigestion, we recommend trying a small dose of 81 mg aspirin tablet daily instead. For patients who cannot take aspirin due to sensitivity or allergy, Clopidogrel (Plavixí) 75 mg once daily may be prescribed.

Diet Therapy and Weight Reduction
Although diet strongly influences many of the risk factors that cause heart and lung disease, its major role is in elevating serum lipids, blood sugar, and body weight. The opportunity through diet control to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and other harmful lipids, lower body weight and control hyperglycemia is incredibly important. The challenge is to really alter your lifestyle including portion-controlled eating, smart food shopping and healthy food preparation.

Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals
Antioxidants are nutrients that protect tissues from oxidative stress and damage caused by aging and extrinsic toxins in our food and water. We recommend Vitamin C (500 mg /day), Vitamin E (400 IU/day), Mixed Carotenes (25,000 U/day), Folate (180 mcg/day), Vitamin B Complex (1.6 mg /day), Selenium (200 mcg/day), and Coenzyme Q10 (150-200 mg/day).