Related topics: •  Heart Disease: Are You at Risk? •  Heart Health Center •  Heart Health Weekly Diary

Coronary heart disease is the number-one killer of adults in the United States. Fortunately, you can vastly improve your heart health by understanding the things that put you at risk and the lifestyle choices you can make to improve your chances for a long and healthy life.

The following questions can serve as a guide to information you may want to discuss with your physician.

Questions Patients Should Ask Their Doctors

•What exactly is heart disease? Does it only involve the heart?

•I feel okay most of the time, so why is heart disease such a big deal?

•How did I get heart disease? Is this hereditary?

•What sort of tests and procedures will I need?

•What are my treatment options?

•Now that I have heart disease, will it go away if I take medications?

•How long do I need to be on medications?

•Are there different treatment choices for me? How about herbs and Eastern medicines?

•Do I need to modify my lifestyle? Exactly what do I need to change or do?

•What risks do I run if I decide not to take any medications and rely mainly on changing my diet, exercising regularly, and reducing stress?

•Will I need surgery?

•How often should I see you?

Questions Clinicians May Ask Their Patients

•Tell me about your family history. Have you had any family members with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, diabetes, or suffered from obesity?

•Tell me about your eating habits. If a serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards, how many servings of meat and fats do you eat in a day?

•Do you exercise regularly? What kind of exercise do you do and for how long?

•Do you smoke now or have you ever smoked? How long ago did you quit?

•Have you had your blood cholesterol tested? Did the doctor give you the results?

•Do you have a stressful job? Are there other reasons that you could be stressed?

•In the past month have you experienced any palpitation, chest pain or shortness of breath?

•Have you experienced any other unusual symptoms or health problems?

•When was the last time you had a thorough physical exam?

•Are you currently taking any medications for any conditions, herbal ones and over-the-counter medicines included?

-- Arthur Cantos, RN, is a former clinical product manager for Consumer Health Interactive and former nurse manager of the cardiothoracic unit at UCSF Medical Center.

References

First published March 26, 2002
Last updated February 14, 2008
Copyright © 2002 Consumer Health Interactive