At Community Health, heart health is a major focus for all of our primary care providers (PCP) who are deploying prevention initiatives and screenings and proactively looking for the early signs of heart disease.

At Community Health we put a significant focus on heart health, constantly working on prevention with screenings and routine care to proactively look for early signs of heart disease.

Routine Exams for Heart Health Screening

Community Health’s primary care providers use routine exams to determine your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), or heart disease, and may recommend lifestyle changes, medications and even refer you to a cardiologist if needed. Routine exams help Community Health’s primary care providers to determine your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or heart disease and to develop a plan of care with you that may include lifestyle changes, medication, or referral to a cardiologist.

These routine exams are the ones that you have had – blood pressure and heart rate – each time you visit your provider. They will also listen to your heart and lungs, check for swelling in your feet and order blood tests to look at your cholesterol, blood counts, or check for diabetes. You may also be scheduled for an electrocardiogram (EKG) to measure the electrical activity of your heart.

What are these routine exams? Put simply, these are things you are probably used to having each time you see your provider. They will check your blood pressure and heart rate, listen to your heart and lungs, look for swelling in your feet, and order blood tests for to look at your cholesterol levels, blood counts, or check for diabetes. They may also get you scheduled for an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the electrical activity of your heart.

Vermont’s 3-4-50 Heart Health Initiative

Heart disease is one of the four diseases resulting from the three behaviors responsible for over 50% of deaths in Vermont. The Vermont Department of Health has used the 3-4-50 initiative to spotlight the overwhelming impact of chronic disease in Vermont and inspire all of us to take action to change.

In the state of Vermont, heart disease tops the list of four diseases that result in over 50% of deaths, and these are linked to three basic behaviors. This has led to the 3-4-50 initiative used by The Vermont Department of Health to spotlight the overwhelming impact of chronic disease in our state and inspire all of us to take action for change.

How to Take Charge of Your Heart Health

Your primary care provider can help you take charge of your own heart health with these preventive steps:

• Know your family’s health history and heart health and discuss that with your primary care provider during your annual physical.
• Healthy eating is important. Your primary care provider can help you manage your diet or can refer you to a dietitian.
• If you have high blood pressure, your PCP can help you with lifestyle changes that can naturally lower blood pressure or can prescribe medications.
• Heart disease and diabetes often go hand in hand. Ask your PCP about a personalized care plan for your specific needs if you are diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes.
• Being overweight can be a strong risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Ask about a plan to attain a healthy weight.
• If lifestyle changes aren’t working, your PCP may refer you to a cardiologist.

Heart Health Risk Factors

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about half of all Americans (47%) have at least one of three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.

Other risk factors, like your age or family history, cannot be controlled. By working with your primary care provider, you can take steps to lower your risk of heart disease by changing what you can control and create a healthier future.