Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute

At the Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute, we want to help you take the first step to better heart health.

Your experience begins with a comprehensive heart-disease risk-assessment. This takes about an hour and will help pinpoint your individual risk factors so that we can determine, together, how to best overcome them.

Prior to your visit, you'll be asked to complete an online survey at home that helps us understand you as a person, including your:

• Nutrition habits
• Physical activity level
• Tobacco and alcohol usage
• Ability to cope with stress
• Family health history.

During your first visit, we will perform several simple screening tests, including:

• A blood pressure check
• Cholesterol blood test (total, HDL, LDL and triglycerides)
• Glucose blood test
• Weight/body mass index screening
• A check for cardiovascular disease in the legs (ABI).

Once these screenings are complete, you will sit down with one of our heart-health counselors to discuss your results and identify steps you can take in the coming months to help lower your risk for heart disease.

Heart Care Tailored to You

To help improve your long-term heart health, our specialists will work with both you and your physician to develop a personalized wellness plan that addresses any specific risk factors you may have. Some examples of recommended activities may include:

• Blood pressure management
• Cholesterol management
• Blood sugar control for diabetics and prediabetics
• Exercise prescription
• Heart-healthy eating plan
• Smoking cessation support
• Stress management techniques
• Hormonal management.

You may also be referred back to your primary care physician or a cardiologist for further follow-up conversations and care. In some cases, additional tests or treatments may be necessary. If so, be assured that through the resources of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and our affiliated physicians, we offer the most advanced diagnostic tests and treatments available to help diagnose and treat heart disease.

Understand and Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease

The best way to reduce your risk for developing heart disease is to understand and address your risk factors. It should not be surprising that two out of every three women have at least one of the following risk factors:

• Family history of coronary artery disease, stroke or premature heart disease
• Age 55 or older
• Being post-menopausal or having your ovaries removed
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• High blood pressure
• High total cholesterol and/or low HDL cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Cigarette smoking.

It's also important for women to know the signs of a heart attack because women are more likely than men to experience heart attack symptoms that are not related to chest pain. If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately; they may be signs of a heart attack:

• Neck, shoulder, upper back, jaw or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Light-headedness or dizziness
• Unusual or excessive fatigue
• Cold sweats.