4 Your Heart

More than one million Americans die of heart attacks each year. Traditionally, heart disease has been perceived as being more prevalent in men, whereas breast and ovarian cancer were possibly the main threats to women’s health.

This is simply not true. A woman has a one in two chance of dying of heart disease compared to a one in eight chance of breast cancer mortality. Moreover, there are risk factors that contribute to the development of heart disease. These include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, abnormal lipids and family history of premature heart disease. The UT Heart Lung Vascular Institute has developed a project that addresses these risk factors in women with the purpose being to educate them about their risk of heart disease and then ultimately to reduce that risk.

With heart disease becoming the number-one killer among women in the United States, it has never been more important to participate in cardiac screening. Now, you can have the peace of mind you need about your heart health.

4 Your Heart, sponsored by the Center for Women’s Health and the Heart Lung Vascular Institute at UT Medical Center, is a comprehensive women’s cardiac screening program designed with women in mind that evaluates each person’s individual risk of developing heart disease. Each woman has a brief history taken by a health care provider followed by blood pressure measurement, determination of waist circumference, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and fasting lipid panel. A 10-year risk calculation is then performed using the Framingham model. The data is then reviewed by a cardiologist with recommendations regarding risk reduction sent to each woman in the form of a personal letter.

The program offers a number of services, including the following.

• Personal Consultation—Benefit from a one-on-one appointment with a cardiac nurse.
• Health Assessment—Evaluate your risk for heart disease, and learn what you can do to improve your health.
• Diagnostic Testing—Learn your numbers. Tests will include lipid profile, glucose, blood pressure, 12 lead EKG and waist circumference.
• Physician Recommendation—You will receive an assessment from a cardiologist, including a summary of tests and future recommendations.

You can make your appointment today by calling 865.305.8444.