Cincinnati VAMC spreads awareness of cardiovascular disease during American Heart Month
In 2014, the International Journal of Preventive Medicine concluded that Veterans are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease—or heart disease—over a period of 20 years.
This paired with the fact that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States has made it all-the-more important for Veterans to be aware of the risks associated with the deadly disease.
Due to advancements in preventive care, diagnostic tools, and medication, approximately 80 percent of heart disease events can be prevented. Each February during American Heart Month, the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) joins the American Heart Association in spreading awareness of cardiovascular disease.
“Cardiovascular disease is really any disease process that affects your blood vessels, whether it’s your heart or your brain,” said Frank Riegler, Interventional Radiology and Cardiac Catherization Lab Nurse Manager. “A lot of the heart diseases that we hear about are peripheral artery disease, heart attacks, strokes. So, all of those diseases are really going to encompass coronary artery disease.”
In terms of looking out for symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease, Riegler said it can be tricky to know exactly what to watch for.
“Everybody always hears ‘chest pain,’ and chest pain is a great indicator of coronary artery disease,” he explained. “Some of the lesser known [symptoms] are jaw pain, shoulder pain, and sometimes something as simple as shortness of breath can be an indicator of some of this heart disease that’s going on over time.”
If Veterans have concerns about cardiovascular disease, they should contact their primary care provider. If a Veteran’s symptoms indicate they may be at risk for cardiovascular disease, their primary care provider will then refer them to cardiology to be evaluated.
The first step in being evaluated for cardiovascular disease, according to Riegler, is to talk about symptoms with a cardiologist and if everything points to the direction of some of these disease processes, the patient will undergo advanced procedures to assess the blood supply to the heart.
“One of those that we do frequently is a cardiac heart catherization,” Riegler said. “We look at all the vessels inside the heart to see if there’s any narrowing or blockages, and if there are, we evaluate that if that’s something we can fix today on-the-spot or if it’s something that requires a little more advanced either surgery or just conversation about what’s going to be best for the Veteran.”
For more information about how the Cincinnati VAMC can help determine Veterans’ risk for cardiovascular disease, call 513-861-3100 and schedule an appointment with a primary care provider.