Preventing Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Each year more than one million people lose their lives from some form of heart disease, some of which may be genetic, and some are the result of lifestyle choices.

St. Luke's can help assess your risk for heart problems and give you the tools you need to improve your heart health.

Call (319) 369-8129 to sign up for St. Luke's Heart Check. Five easy tests assess your heart, vascular and stroke health.
Call (319) 369-8909 to schedule a Heart Scan identifies calcified plaque in your coronary arteries and assesses your heart's health. There are no injections, treadmills or pre-test fasting.
Check your heart health and talk to your provider about heart disease risk factors.
Stop smoking with the help of St. Luke's Tobacco Cessation program.
Know your numbers - your weight and blood pressure are important indicators of health.
If you need to make exercise, nutrition and lifestyle changes, try the UnityPoint Health Weight Loss Clinic.
Keep close tabs on your blood fats (LDL and triglycerides) and sugars. Both can be detected with simple blood tests taken by your primary care doctor.

Five lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure:

Increase exercise. Aerobic exercise, such as walking, biking or swimming, for just 30 minutes a day, four to five days a week significantly improves your heart health.
Eat a healthier diet. Avoid foods high in saturated fat, trans fat, salt and cholesterol. Eat more fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.
Cut down on alcohol. Drink no more than two drinks a day for men, one for women.
Lose weight if you are overweight.
Stay cool - relax! Stress is hard on your heart, so take a deep breath and avoid stressors when possible.