Dr. Erickson: Being open to a give-and-take of information helps patients make choices that align with their values and preferences.
Healthy habits throughout life – eating better, moving more, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking – are important steps to prevent heart disease. You also need to keep an eye on factors that make heart disease more likely. These include diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Use this resource to learn what steps you can take to protect your heart.
Staying up to date with your vaccines is an important part of healthy living – especially if you have heart disease.
Having heart disease makes you more likely to become seriously ill from infections such as influenza (the flu), COVID, and pneumonia. Protect your heart with healthy habits, such as eating well, being active, not smoking, getting good sleep, taking your heart medicines – and getting vaccinated! Learn more:
Dr. Erickson: Being open to a give-and-take of information helps patients make choices that align with their values and preferences.
Dr. Shabbir: Tools support discussions to ensure patients understand their risk.
Dr. Mendoza, chief cardiology fellow at Erlanger Heart and Lung Institute in Chattanooga, TN, shares insights from using a CardioSmart decision aid with a 72-year-old woman with severe aortic stenosis.
Here are key points for patients about new recommendations to restore blood flow to the heart.