Looking for a gift from the heart to give your valentine? How about the gift of a healthier heart?

There’s a lot you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your chances for a longer, healthier life. First, learn more about some of the risk factors for heart disease. Then, take steps to minimize those risks over which you have some control, like lifestyle choices and seeing your doctor regularly.

Understand Your Risk of Heart Disease

In the early stages of heart disease, most people don’t have any symptoms. Knowing your risks and taking steps to reduce them, can help you avoid heart disease.

Some factors that may increase your risk are:

• A family history of heart disease or heart attacks
• Abnormal cholesterol
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Elevated Blood Pressure
• A lack of regular exercise

You’ll find a basic quiz about heart attack risk factors on the National Institutes of Health web site* at: http://www.polyclinic.com/heart_quiz/heart_quiz.html

*This is just a tool to help you understand more about your risk of heart disease, so be sure to discuss your results with your physician.

Steps to Reduce Your Risk

Even if you don’t fall into a higher than normal risk for heart disease, it’s a good idea to take steps to reduce your risk. There are several risk factors of heart disease (and many other diseases!) which you can improve through a healthy lifestyle, including:

Get enough exercise
According to the American Hearth Association, all healthy adults ages 18-65 should get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days of the week. Older adults should also get regular exercise, but may want to discuss this with their doctor prior to starting a new exercise program

Eat a healthy diet
A heart-healthy diet includes whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, low saturated fats and fish (preferably fatty fish) at least 2 times per week.

Quit smoking
Cigarette smokers are three to six times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers.

See your doctor regularly
With regular exams, your doctor can monitor your cholesterol levels and blood pressure, while looking for other signs that may help prevent heart disease or detect it early.

You should consult a doctor immediately if you notice:

• Shortness of breath
• Discomfort in your chest, upper abdomen, neck, jaw or arms with physical exertion, exercise or emotional stress

Cardiology at The Polyclinic

Physicians in The Polyclinic’s cardiology department specialize in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all diseases of the heart, coronary arteries and heart valves. You can rely on our experienced, board-certified physicians to use the latest technological advances available in cardiology today.

The cardiology department has two locations:

The James Tower
550 17th Ave., Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98122
206-860-2302

Northgate
11011 Meridian Ave. N.
Suite 200
Seattle, WA 98133
206-525-5777

Our providers in cardiology include:
Albro, Peter, MD, FACC
Ali, Humera, MD
Archer, Gretchen, MSN, ARNP
Baciewicz, Peter, MD, FACC
Dewhurst, Timothy, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Doces, John G., MD, FACC
Huehnergarth, Kier, MD
Perlmutter, Sandy, MSN, ARNP
Swingle, Jad, MD
Willems, James, MD

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