February is Heart Awareness Month. But we at Hoag have often puzzled at
the term “Heart Awareness.”
We are all aware of our hearts. We are aware of the fact that
heart disease is the number one killer in America. What too many of us are
not aware of is how to prevent heart disease, how to recognize risk factors
and what we can do together as a community to decrease incidents of disease
and improve our well-being.
The
Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute at Hoag is the region’s top-rated cardiovascular center, renowned
for its comprehensive
medical team and dedication to providing the highest quality care and services. As
part of our mission, we partner with the community to provide the best
and latest education about
heart health.
Our community education classes and
early detection screenings can help you determine whether you have an elevated risk for heart disease
and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.
“Education is one of the most important tools to fighting heart disease,” said
Anthony Caffarelli, M.D., director of Hoag’s Aortic Center and Hoag
Cardiovascular Surgery. “The more you understand about your risk, the better you can work
to prevent it or treat it early.”
This month, Hoag is particularly focused on educating the public about
thoracic aortic aneurysms, a silent, slow-growing disease that shows no symptoms yet kills 45,000
each year.
Risk factors include:
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- A bicuspid aortic valve
- Early aortic valve surgery (under the age 70)
- Certain genetic conditions or connective tissue disorders
- A parent, sibling, or child who has a thoracic aortic aneurysm or who has
experienced a dissection, rupture or unexplained sudden death
- Trauma to the aorta (such as from a car accident)
- Smoking
- Inflammatory processes
For more information, call 888-329-5759.