An important part of BAPTIST HEALTH Heart Services' mission is to prevent heart disease through programs in the Health Management Centers. These programs are designed to assist individuals in making lifestyle changes that will reduce their risk factors for heart disease and improve their overall health.

The surgeries and procedures to treat coronary artery disease, can reduce your symptoms and potentially save your life, but they are not a true cure. You need to change any unhealthy habits (also called risk factors) that helped create your heart problems in the first place. Some risk factors are smoking, eating too much fat and salt and not getting enough exercise. Making changes to reduce risk factors can help keep your heart condition from getting worse and may even improve the health of your heart and help prevent another surgery.

Lose Weight

Excess body fat places you at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. The excess weight also contributes to problems associated with cholesterol, stress, blood pressure and blood sugar. Begin a low fat diet and talk to your doctor about how to start a moderate exercise program. BAPTIST HEALTH offers two weight management programs that incorporate individualized eating plans with exercise and behavior modification.

Stop Smoking

Smoking increases your risk for heart disease and numerous types of cancer. Smoking narrows the arteries of the heart and raises your blood pressure. Participating in the Nicotine Dependence Program at BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center can help break the addiction to nicotine.

Eat Right

Eating healthier can help reduce your blood pressure (hypertension) and help get your blood sugar (diabetes) under control, two major factors that contribute to coronary artery disease. Change the way you cook and eat.

Also, slow down - don't eat on the run. Bake, broil, stew, grill or microwave foods rather than fry. Steam vegetables or eat them raw (broccoli, cauliflower and squash are great in a salad!). Season foods with herbs like lemon, garlic, onion or ginger rather than salt.

A well balanced diet is important to the healing process for patients who have already had surgery or a cardiovascular procedure. It can also help prevent you from having to undergo a procedure, if you make lifestyle changes soon enough! The Cardiac Risk Intervention Program at BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center Little Rock is an intensive cardiac rehabilitation program based on guidelines set up by Dr. Dean Ornish. Participants make significant lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, lipids and smoking cessation where appropriate.

Medications

Be sure to follow your doctor's recommendations on your medications. The medications you are on for heart disease are very important to controlling your heart disease and/or risk factors for heart disease.

Heart Services

BAPTIST HEALTH is committed to health promotion through a variety of innovative and dynamic education programs. We want to assist participants in achieving realistic health-related goals to improve the quality of their lives.

CT Cardiac Scoring

CT Cardiac Scoring is an important tool in the early assessment of a patient's risk for heart disease. The noninvasive test, which takes only about 20 seconds, detects the presence of calcium in the arteries. Individuals past 45 years of age who have risk factors such as a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, inactivity or who are overweight can benefit from this quick, east test. Call BAPTIST HEALTH HealthLine for more details.

Multiple Locations

Click on any of these links to learn more about Heart Services at each hospital:

BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-Little Rock


BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-North Little Rock


BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-Arkadelphia


BAPTIST HEALTH Medical Center-Heber Springs