Heart Disease Prevention
Stop heart disease before it starts
It’s never too early to think about your heart. Almost everyone has risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes – do you know what yours are?
The Heart Disease Prevention Program at OHSU provides prevention, detection, care, treatment and education to patients interested in managing and reducing the chance of developing heart disease. OHSU is the only hospital in Oregon to cover every aspect of heart care, from research to prevention to transplant.
Our cardiology experts can help you determine your risk of heart disease and work with you to develop a program that helps you feel better and enjoy life.
Getting started
Your doctor can refer you to our clinic, or you can contact us on your own. Our prevention program begins with a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment and access to state-of-the-art diagnostic tests, including:- Laboratory testing – including conventional and advanced cholesterol tests, as well as comprehensive risk factor analysis
- Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CACS) to detect asymptomatic early evidence of atherosclerosis (plaque)
- Coronary CT angiography to evaluate for blocked heart arteries
- Stress testing to measure the blood flow to the heart and its functional capacity
- Echocardiography to evaluate pumping function of the heart and the valves
Once your risks are identified, a preventive program is developed based on your individual needs. You can meet with cardiologists, exercise specialists, nurses and nutrition experts who will help you start a safe exercise program and improve your diet, manage stress, stop smoking and more.
