Preventive Cardiology

A preventive cardiology plan can help you learn how to manage risk factors for heart disease (primary prevention). It can also help you manage an existing condition (secondary prevention). And it can benefit anyone at any stage of life — whether you have a family history of heart disease or not.

Our team works to improve your quality of life and reduce your risks for heart disease. We want you to avoid future events, like heart attacks or strokes, and the need for a stent (a tiny metal tube that keeps your artery open to allow blood to go through better) or surgery. We’re here to help you prevent or stabilize heart disease.

We build your care plan around the type of preventive cardiology you need. We consider risk factors, your lifestyle and your overall health. So, before we even craft a treatment plan, we get to know you and your heart.

What to expect at your evaluation

During your first visit, we want to hear from you so we can learn more about your journey so far. Your provider will also do a risk assessment. They’ll talk with you about your medical history and if you’ve had any heart problems. You can also expect to answer questions about your lifestyle. How much do you exercise? What are your eating habits? Do you smoke or drink alcohol?

Other factors come into play during a risk assessment. Your age. Whether you were assigned male or female at birth. Your family medical history. Even your race and ethnicity can factor into heart health.

While you’re here, your provider will also do a physical exam to check your heart and general health. You may also have cardiac blood tests. We use these to see if you have risk factors for heart disease, like:

• High cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
• Inherited high levels of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia).
• High blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
• Novel risk factors like lipoproteins.
• High blood pressure (hypertension).
• Having overweight or obesity.
• Kidney disease.

Imaging and stress tests

You may also get orders for imaging tests like an electrocardiogram (EKG), echocardiogram (echo), nuclear stress test, calcium score or coronary CT. These tests let our team see how your heart works.

You may also do a few stress tests. Some involve exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill, like:

• Exercise stress echocardiogram to see how your heart and valves work when it’s beating fast.
• Exercise stress electrocardiogram to measure your heart’s electrical activity during exercise.
• Nuclear cardiac stress test to track blood flow to your heart while you exercise.

If you can’t do an exercise test, you may have a pharmacological nuclear stress test.

The results of your physical exam, bloodwork and tests give us a baseline for future comparison.

Meet Our Preventive Cardiology Team

When you get preventive cardiology care at Cleveland Clinic, you’ll have a team of expert, compassionate providers on your side. We use a “whole body” approach to care because the parts of your body work together. And if one part isn’t healthy (in this case, your heart), the others can feel that stress, too.

That’s why we build your team around your health, needs and treatment goals. Our preventive cardiologists lead your care and work with providers from different specialties, like:

• Primary care providers (PCPs).
• Dietitians.
• Endocrinologists.
• Nephrologists.
• Exercise physiologists.
• Nurse practitioners.
• Psychologists.
• Psychiatrists.

No two hearts are the same. So why would you have the same preventive cardiology plan as someone else? You won’t at Cleveland Clinic. We highly personalize your care plan.

Our team works closely with you to make sure your plan fits your health goals. You may want to manage your blood pressure a little better. Or lower your cholesterol or blood sugar. Perhaps you’re ready to get moving by finding ways to do 15 or 30 minutes of planned exercise each day. You may want to quit smoking, lose weight or learn how to make healthier meals and snacks. We can help with all of this.

As we craft your personalized plan, we use research-based interventions and a variety of medications and treatment methods to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and keep any heart conditions you already have from getting worse. And we build in regular screenings to keep an eye on your health and recommend day-to-day changes to improve your quality of life, including:

Regular health screenings and checkups

As part of your plan, you’ll have regular appointments with your care team. Depending on your needs, this could be as often as every three months.

Nutritional counseling

Food and nutrition play a big part in keeping your heart healthy. What you eat can help you keep a weight that’s healthy for you and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Our team is here to help you forge the best nutritional path for your new lifestyle. And we do this through one-on-one counseling and group sessions.

You’ll learn how to plan meals and make grocery lists for well-balanced eating. You’ll learn how to control portion sizes and make mindful food choices. Enjoy eating out? We’ll talk about what to order at restaurants. Worrying about the holidays? We’re here to help you navigate the food table at family gatherings and favorite restaurants. Think of us as your nutritional hotline. We’re here with answers and support.

Exercise prescription

Staying active also has a starring role in any preventive cardiology plan. Even if you’d rather watch a movie than run a marathon, our exercise physiology team can help you take the next step. And it doesn’t even have to be a big one.

We want you to feel excited about getting up and moving. Your goal? Find what you love and do it every day. From walking the dog to group aerobic exercise classes, we design an exercise prescription that focuses on what you enjoy.

Emotional and mental health support

Change can be hard. And sometimes, it’s as stressful as it is exciting. We understand that. We also know that your heart and brain are intimately connected. That’s why we give you the opportunity to meet with our compassionate counseling team, who’ll listen to your concerns. We’re here to support you — so you can keep confidently moving forward.

Taking the Next Step

You’re unique. And so is your heart. So, when you find out you’re at risk of heart disease, you’ll want the most individualized care. Our preventive cardiology team meets you where you are. We know that even the smallest changes add up to big results. And we’re here to help you make these changes feel manageable rather than intimidating. When you take control of your heart health, you’re doing yourself (and your heart) a big favor — today and into the future.