Heart Care

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Although heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S., men have a greater heart attack risk than women and they experience attacks earlier in life. The good news is that you can lower your risk of heart disease significantly by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, exercising, managing stress, avoiding smoking and abstaining from or limiting alcohol consumption.

The heart care professionals at ShorePoint Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda provide you with information about your risk factors, and ways to prevent development or reduce the progression of heart disease. We provide a range of treatment and therapies to combat heart disease, including:

• Medications such as statins, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and others.
• Minimally invasive cardiac catheterization techniques, including angioplasty, stent placement, ablation and coronary atherectomy.
• Advanced surgical options, including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), congenital heart disease repair, arrhythmia surgeries, valve repairs and aortic aneurysm surgery.
• Education on heart disease and heart-healthy lifestyle changes.

Heart Attack Symptoms
Symptoms can vary among men - some don't experience chest pain at all. In some cases, symptoms are mild and can come on slowly, so heart attacks are not always easily recognizable. Being aware of all the symptoms can help save your life. Symptoms often include:

• Chest discomfort, which can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. The feeling can either last for more than a few minutes, or can go away and come back.
• Discomfort or pain in other areas of the upper body, such as in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, vomiting or lightheadedness.