St. Bernardine Medical Center Offers Online Heart Risk Assessment

February is National Heart Awareness Month. According to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention, heart disease is the number one killer in both men and women and about 610,000 Americans die from heart disease each year – that is 1 in every 4 deaths. Some risk factors associated with heart disease include high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol and smoking. Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put you at risk of heart disease including diabetes, being overweight, poor diet, lack of physical activity and excessive alcohol use. Dr. Prahdeep Sethi, MD, cardiologist affiliated with Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center’s Inland Empire Heart and Vascular Institute said that heart disease is most often attributed to lifestyle. “A lack of exercise, diets of convenience foods and other elements of a busy lifestyle can promote inflammation and buildup of cholesterol in the heart arteries. The cornerstone of prevention is a healthy lifestyle, which includes a regular exercise regimen and making sure that you have a sensible diet,” he continued. The Inland Empire Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Bernardine Medical Center offers an online heart risk assessment at www.dignityhealth.org/heart. Individuals can take the assessment from a desktop, tablet or mobile phone. “There’s no better time than American Hearth Month to commit to a healthy lifestyle and to making small changes that can lead to a healthier heart,” concluded Sethi. The Inland Empire Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Bernardine Medical Center is the largest program in the Inland Empire with more than 45 cardiac specialists and the experience, expertise and skill to provide complete heart care.