Heart Disease: Can You Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?

On Health with Houston Methodist

A diagnosis of coronary artery disease, or CAD, should be taken seriously. But what does this mean exactly? CAD is the most common type of heart disease — 18 million adults in the U.S. live with the condition — roughly the combined populations of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and our fair city of Houston. In this episode, we explore how we can prevent CAD from ever developing — and potentially prevent it from ever leading to heart attack or stroke.
Expert: Dr. Mahmoud Al Rifai, Preventive Cardiologist
Interviewer: Kim Rivera Huston-Weber
Notable topics covered:

• What causes CAD — and who’s at risk
• Cholesterol: the major culprit behind the development of arterial plaque
• Why someone should take a CAD diagnosis seriously
• The four types of heart disease prevention
• How cardiologists calculate your risk for heart attack or stroke
• Coronary artery calcium score: The CT scan that can show the severity of CAD
• The differences between heart disease, cardiovascular disease and CAD
• Can you reverse the effects of coronary artery disease?
• Ways to control CAD risk factors to prevent heart attacks, stroke
• How to move past guilt, shame after a CAD diagnosis to change the course of the condition
• How to support a loved one with heart disease
• How stress and mental health affects your heart health

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