The Fight Against Heart and Vascular Disease Gets Personal

Year after year, heart and vascular disease maintains its rank as the number one killer of Americans. Doctors at Penn Medicine are battling the epidemic through comprehensive and personalized management of cardiovascular risk factors.

There are many things people can do on their own to reduce their risk of developing heart and vascular disease, such as getting plenty of exercise and eating right. Penn Medicine’s Preventive Cardiovascular Program helps reduce that risk further using a multidisciplinary, personalized approach to treat cardiovascular risk factors. The program specializes in the treatment of complex lipid (cholesterol) and high blood pressure conditions, as well as the care of individuals with a family history of early heart attack, stroke or peripheral artery disease. The program’s expert team consists of cardiologists, vascular medicine specialists, lipid specialists, hypertension specialists, nurses and dietitians.

“We offer a wide array of preventive testing to refine cardiovascular risk assessment above and beyond traditional risk factors,” said Emil deGoma, MD, medical director of the Preventive Cardiovascular Program. “For selected individuals, advanced testing enhances our ability to personalize care for each patient; be it lifestyle changes and weight management for someone at low risk, or medication and intervention for someone at high risk.”

Advanced Risk Refinement Services

According to Dr. deGoma, the Preventive Cardiovascular Program uses innovative technologies and imaging capabilities to assess the risk of heart and vascular disease, including:

• Genetic testing for heart attack risk: This blood test identifies someone’s risk for heart attack by examining variations in the sequence of their inherited genetic material, also known as DNA. Certain variations are associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack, while others can mean a decreased risk.
• Vascular ultrasound screening (carotid intima-media thickness assessment): A non-invasive ultrasound evaluation examines the health of the carotid arteries, looking for warning signs such as the accumulation of plaque or thickening of the blood vessel wall.
• Coronary artery calcium scanning: Another non-invasive test, this “heart scan” evaluates the coronary arteries for the buildup of calcium. Higher coronary artery calcium scores are associated with a higher risk for heart attack.
• Advanced lipid laboratory testing:  Testing beyond the standard fasting cholesterol panel can help diagnose lipid diseases, assess cardiovascular risk assessment, and identify the most appropriate treatment options.
• Ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Continuous blood pressure monitoring provides a comprehensive assessment of blood pressure changes throughout the day and night. It is a valuable tool for diagnosing hypertension and ensuring the effectiveness and safety of treatment.

The wide range of risk refinement services offered by Penn Medicine’s Preventive Cardiovascular Program is located at the Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine.  For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit PennMedicine.org/heart/prevention or call 800-789-PENN (7366).