As we get older, we’re more at risk for heart disease. And we can’t change our family history or genetics. But Morris Kelley, M.D., says there are lifestyle choices and medical therapies that can lower our risk of heart disease. “The other risk factors we worry about are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise – those sort of things,” says Dr. Kelley. “There are things you can do something about on a daily basis. You can go see your primary care doctor and have them take measurements on a regular basis because you never know when those things are going to come up. Know what your blood pressure is, know what your cholesterol is, know what your blood glucose level is. Know if it’s high and if it needs to be treated. The earlier you can identify those risk factors and those things you can change, the better off you are. The earlier we can identify the disease and start the treatment process, the better life you’re going to have.”

Learn more about heart care at CHI St. Vincent.