About 1.5 million Americans suffer heart attacks each year, resulting in over 150,000 deaths. Surprisingly, half of those occur in people with normal cholesterol levels. Many heart attacks also occur in people without other traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, diabetes or a family history.

Coronary artery disease can be screened for at GMA using carotid intimal thickness testing. We can help you prevent a first or second heart attack using the latest tools, thanks to our Heart Attack, Stroke and Diabetes Prevention Program. The physicians involved with this program are Dr. Greg Feinsinger, Dr. Christiaan Maurer, and Dr. David Lorah. Sometimes a survivor of a first heart attack is not given the tools to prevent a second heart attack. At GMA we give you all the tools -- including nutritional counseling and lifestyle advice.

Risk factors for heart attacks include:

• Previous heart attack, stent, bypass surgery, stroke
  or other evidence of hardening of the arteries.
• Diabetes, or Metabolic Syndrome (pre-diabetes).
• Family history of heart disease, stroke or diabetes.
• Total cholesterol over 200; LDL (bad cholesterol) greater than 100;
  HDL (good cholesterol) less than 45 in men or post-menopausal women and less than 55 in pre-menopausal women; triglycerides over 150.
• Sleep apnea.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Blood pressure over 140/90 (less than 120/80 is ideal).
• Smoking.
• Waist measurement over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women.
• Physical inactivity.

We have expertise and experience in heart attack prevention and rehabilitation. We always put patients first. In fact, no other group practice offers patients as many comprehensive health services and conveniences as GMA.

By working together we can lower heart attack risk significantly. There's
an excellent chance we can help you, too, if you are at risk. Call us and take
advantage of advanced, experienced, complete and compassionate heart care.

We welcome and encourage referrals.

For more Healthy Heart information, click on the link.