Treatment for heart disease in Denver

Detecting heart disease in its earliest stage is the best defense in treating—and possibly reversing—the disease. We are dedicated to making this possible by providing community awareness and cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment tools for heart disease. The cardiac specialists in our heart center deliver comprehensive care for your heart condition, starting with an expert diagnosis and development of a personalized treatment plan. Whether you need medication, minimally invasive cardiac catheterization or vascular surgery, your heart is in good hands at HealthONE's family of hospitals.

To learn more about HealthONE's heart disease care, call (303) 575-0055.

Understanding heart disease

Heart disease ("cardiovascular disease") refers to blood vessel diseases in which the blood vessels become narrowed. It is the leading cause of death in American men and women—accounting for one in every four deaths. It includes many other types of heart- and vascular-related disorders and diseases, such as:

  • Blocked blood vessels (cardiovascular disease)
  • Congenital heart defects
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Heart arrhythmia

Heart scans, screening and imaging

Our cardiologists use a wide range of minimally invasive heart screening and imaging techniques to diagnose heart disease. These advanced tests give the doctor a clear view inside of your blood vessels and heart’s system.

Coronary calcium scan

A coronary calcium scan measures the amount of calcification in your arteries. We use this low-cost 15-minute scan to provide quick, easy-to-understand results that can help determine your risk of having a heart attack.

As plaque (cholesterol, fat or other materials) builds up in the arteries, they become narrowed. As a result, less blood flows through the body and can lead to heart failure or cause a heart attack. Where there’s more cholesterol, there’s more calcium, so the coronary calcium scan helps us visualize exactly how blocked your arteries are.

Heart disease treatment

Interventional radiology (catheter-based procedures) may be necessary to clear blocked arteries caused by heart disease. Your heart doctor may perform these treatments during a heart test if they see intervention is necessary to prevent a cardiac event.

Your cardiologist may also prescribe lifestyle changes to reduce the symptoms of heart disease or to reverse the disease. These lifestyle changes may include:

Preventing heart disease

Some women have a family health history that predisposes them to a risk of heart disease. Knowing your family history and sharing that with your physician is extremely important so that he or she can monitor your health with appropriate cardiac screening tests.

However, there are a few factors that can be more easily controlled, including:

  • Diabetes
  • Genetics
  • High blood pressure
  • Inactivity
  • Smoking

Heart disease in women

Heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women each year—more than all cancers combined. We can change that. Eighty percent of all cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes.

Because heart attack symptoms may be different in women than in men, the symptoms may be overlooked or misinterpreted. Also, women are referred for cardiac testing less frequently than men, and when those tests are performed, interpretation is sometimes more difficult due to gender differences.

Heart disease in men

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four men has some type of heart disease. There are many different types of heart disease—some are congenital (born with them) and others develop over the course of time and affect people later in life. Common factors that increase the risk of developing heart disease (in men and women) include:

  • Lack of exercise and physical activity
  • Poor diet and nutrition
  • Smoking
  • Stress
  • Weight