Devoted to the prevention and treatment of heart disease, Carle cardiologists and surgeons work with you and your primary care physician to ensure you receive the care you need.

Don’t ignore high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or family history of heart problems – these are serious risk factors for heart disease. The key to heart health is understanding these factors and learning how to manage your risk with diet, exercise, and if necessary, medications.

Recognize your risk
Know the factors that increase your chance of heart disease. Eighty percent of cases result from common risk factors, including: hypertension, unhealthy cholesterol levels (high LDL or low HDL), diabetes and smoking. Cardiovascular disease is also highly hereditary. Be familiar with your family history and receive more frequent screenings if a close relative has experienced heart problems.

Know your numbers
Keep cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and glucose in check. Even if you feel healthy, visit your primary physician regularly to monitor your levels. You want to meet these target numbers:

• Total cholesterol: below 200 mg/dL
• LDL (bad cholesterol) should be below 130 mg/dL
• HDL (good cholesterol) should be above 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women
• Blood pressure: 120/80 mm/Hg
• Triglycerides: below 150 mg/dL
• Blood glucose: below 100 mg/dL

*Target numbers recommended by the National Heart,Lung and Blood Institute

Develop good habits
In addition to regular checkups, physicians recommend you:

• Eat five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• Lower your intake of fatty foods
• Exercise at least 30 minutes, five days per week
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Eliminate use of tobacco