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Healthy Resources

What is cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease generally refers to a heart condition in which the arteries narrow over time due to plaque buildup, which makes it harder for blood to flow properly. If blood clots form and an artery becomes completely blocked, a heart attack or stroke can occur. This happens all too often, as cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for Americans, both men and women. Cardiovascular disease is also the most common type of heart condition, and it sometimes is called coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease.

Most people don't know something is wrong until they start experiencing symptoms. Common symptoms of cardiovascular disease include:

Pain, tightness, pressure or discomfort in the chest
Shortness of breath
Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in arms or legs
Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back

However, cardiovascular disease can start well before any of these symptoms appear. For example, high blood pressure can often go unnoticed. That's why it's so important to understand the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and manage those that can be changed, such as smoking, high blood pressure, diet and exercise.

Interested in learning more about the risk factors that may be putting you at risk for heart disease? Take our free heart health assessment to receive a personalized analysis of your heart disease risk.

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Why Choose Us?

You can't take chances when it comes to your heart. Santa Rosa Medical Center is with you every step of the way - from helping you create a heart-healthy lifestyle to providing life-saving treatment during heart-related emergencies. The cardiac care team focuses on treating disorders of the heart and vascular system so that patients can enjoy the best health and quality of life possible.

Dedicated, experienced, board-certified cardiologists and allied health professionals
Accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology

As an accredited Chest Pain Center, Santa Rosa Medical Center has shown a commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding an extensive set of stringent criteria. To maintain accreditation, our heart care department has processes in place designed to:

Focus on you, your needs and your heart health
Reduce the time from chest pain onset to diagnosis and treatment
Treat heart attack patients quickly during the critical window of time when heart muscle can be preserved
Ensure thorough training of Accredited Chest Pain Center personnel
Integrate the emergency department with the local emergency medical system
Support community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack

Our Services Include:

Diagnostic and imaging technology to find heart disease early, when it's most treatable
Cardiac catheterization, or coronary angiogram, including radial artery catheterization
Interventional cardiology using minimally invasive and non-surgical techniques including percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
Blood tests
Stress tests
Electrophysiology studies, electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and transesophogeal echocardiogram (TEE)
Holter monitors
Nuclear medicine scans such as positron emission tomography (PET), PET/CT scans, or thallium or myocardial perfusion scans

Heart Healthy Resources

A Woman's Risk for Heart Disease is Different: Here's What You Need to Know

Heart disease is a big issue in the United States for both men and women alike. But some risk factors are more unique to women.
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What Do Doctors Have To Say About Your Heart?

Is High Blood Pressure Considered Heart Disease?

Finding out you have high blood pressure can be worrisome if you aren't sure what your numbers mean or what to do about them. Discover how high blood pressure affects your heart.
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How Does Smoking Affect Your Heart?

Smoking's impact reaches far beyond your lungs, harming nearly every other organ in the body. Get the specifics on how smoking can influence your heart's health.
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Why Your Heart Wants You to Pay Attention to Your Cholesterol

Your liver makes cholesterol in your body, but you also get cholesterol from eating certain foods. Find out how the wrong kind of cholesterol can impact your heart.
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