Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Approximately 50% of people who die from heart disease experience no symptoms. Symptoms of disease may be more subtle in women, which may be why more women die of heart disease than of all cancers combined. These are some sobering statistics, but with a balanced approach and some simple lifestyle changes, you can drastically reduce your risk.
At Alaska Functional Medicine Clinic we feel that education the most important aspect of prevention of cardiovascular disease. We also integrate conventional medicine approaches with complementary and alternative options allowing you, the patient, to make educated choices that best reflect your needs.
While we do address traditional risk factors such as family history, smoking, age, sex, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, activity level, poor diet, and diabetes, we also address many other important, but often overlooked risk factors. These include:
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Stress
- Toxic load
- Vitamin deficiency
- Blod clotting
- Hormones
Cardiovascular risk factors go beyond the simple cholesterol blood testing that most healthcare providers rely on. Additional testing can provide more information for appropriate lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, and supplementation.
Prevention is key when it comes to protecting our hearts for a healthy future. Even if you have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or have had a heart attack, we can work with you to ensure your arteries are open, flexible, and functioning to their highest ability.
Because we individualized care is at the core of what we do, we may look at your medication list, lifestyle, heavy metal levels, hormone levels, and potentially order additional blood lab testing in order to fully asses your risk factors and create a care plan that works for you and your unique needs.