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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