Heart disease is without a doubt the No.1 killer of Americans. An astounding 17.6 million Americans (>20 years of age) have heart disease, and nearly 2,300 die of this each day.¹ That’s an average of 1 death every 38 seconds! In fact, heart disease kills more Americans than all forms of cancer combined. The direct and indirect cost of heart disease for 2010 is estimated to be around $177.1 billion.¹

Fortunately, heart disease is preventable if you follow three easy steps. First, know your risk for heart disease. There are several factors that contribute to the development of heart disease including your family history, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and whether you have diabetes or smoke. Second, see your doctor regularly and get the proper therapy needed to address your risks. And third, maintaining a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise will help you physically as well as mentally. Research has shown that getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity on 5 or more days of the week can help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and keep your weight at a healthy level.²

Although there are a lot of preventative steps you can take to avoid heart disease, there are also things you can’t change including your race, genetics and gender (total heart disease prevalence in the United States is 9.1% for men and 7.0% for women¹). Despite this, knowing your modifiable risk factors, and taking the appropriate action can still change your future.

Your risk for heart disease can be uncovered with advanced testing ordered by your physician. Most physicians order simple cholesterol testing (HDL, LDL, and TGs) to assess your risk for heart disease. However, recent studies have demonstrated that around 50% of individuals who experience a heart attack have normal lipids yet this is what continues to be ordered on a consistent basis.³ Advanced testing can more accurately predict your true cardiovascular risk and enable your physician to take the necessary action to prevent a heart attack or stroke.