Preventive Cardiology

(in conjunction with endocrinology and nephrology)

The most innovative medical and surgical treatment for heart disease is only as successful as the follow-up care and management of lifestyle factors that contributed to the development of the disease itself. Also, a great part of the mission of the McGinnis Cardiovascular Institute at Allegheny is preventing the need for individuals to use its superior treatment services in the first place.

In addition, Allegheny provides preventive screenings throughout the region consistent with national forums on all aspects of heart disease — including screenings for carotid artery disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, lipids/cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, among others.

Allegheny General has established a core Lifestyle Management program to assist patients and their doctors in addressing and managing these issues to help ensure the maximum quality of life and benefit from their original treatment. Collaborating with the hospital's endocrinology and nephrology specialists, professionals in Allegheny's Preventive Cardiology program offer patients — from low- to high-risk — the educational and consultative tools to prevent or halt the development of heart disease:

Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease.
This initiative is a comprehensive lifestyle intervention program scientifically proven to control, and even reverse, heart disease. The program is conducted in a highly supportive atmosphere by a trained staff that assists each participant to adopt a low-fat, whole foods diet, increase physical activity through regular exercise, handle stress more effectively through relaxation techniques and identify and seek support for related emotional issues.

Lipid management.
Health professionals certified in testing and evaluation of cholesterol aid patients in dietary and pharmacologic techniques for attaining the healthy balance of good and bad cholesterol agents.

Hypertension management.
In addition to counseling patients with appropriate lifestyle management techniques, Allegheny cardiologists and health professionals tailor medication regimens using the latest drugs available to help control hypertension, one of the leading indicators for development of coronary artery disease.

Obesity.
In partnership with specialists in endocrinology and nephrology, Allegheny's health professionals excel in methods for combating obesity. Patients whose morbid obesity does not respond to lifestyle changes and medical management also have access to the hospital's bariatric doctors for the full spectrum of surgical intervention techniques.