Cardiology

Cardiovascular disease among American women is on the rise, yet most aren’t aware the threat exists. The American Heart Association reports that one woman out of every three suffers from some form of cardiovascular disease. Common heart problems include heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and angina. The greatest risk factors are age, diabetes, smoking and obesity. Interestingly, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease reports the majority of heart attacks are occurring in women with only intermediate risk factors, like family history or poor lifestyle habits, so women must be vigilant about caring for their heart.

At Lake Forest Hospital, our cardiologists focus on the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. Many types of heart disease exist, and they can affect the heart in several ways. But the biggest problem they pose is disruption of the vital pumping action of the heart. Our physicians seek to prevent and identify early-stage heart disease to help women avoid long-term or escalating heart problems. We also offer a cardiac rehabilitation program for women who are managing serious heart problems.

Prevention—Understanding if you’re at risk is key to preventing heart disease from occurring and disrupting your life. Lake Forest Hospital provides cardiac outpatient diagnostic testing, including heart healthy CT scans, electrophysiology, cardiac catheterization, coronary angioplasty, non-invasive cardiac testing, EKGs, holter monitors, echocardiograms, GXT and oximetry.

Cardiac Catheterization Lab—The new cardiac catheterization lab features a state-of-the-art cardiac angiography suite that provides quick, onsite diagnoses for patients suspected of having cardiovascular disease and those who are suffering acute heart attack. The new technology aids physicians in their assessment and treatment of a wide variety of cardiac diseases and irregular heart rhythms.

Cardiac Rehabilitation—Lake Forest Hospital provides full service cardiac rehabilitation, serving both continuously and intermittently monitored patients, through monitored exercise (blood pressure and telemetry monitoring), risk factor identification and risk management techniques. Our cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to limit the physiological and psychological effects of cardiac illness; reduce the risk for sudden death or relapse; control cardiac symptoms; stabilize and/or improve the patient’s condition; and enhance the patient’s quality of life.