Other risk factors include high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes and stress. My feeling is we're seeing more people with heart disease in this area. Heart disease is a combination of diseases and conditions relating to the heart and blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. About 58 million Americans, almost a quarter of the population, live with some form of the disease, according to the American Heart Association. The prevalence of heart disease in this community ignited discussions between physicians and the hospitals five years ago about collaborating care.
Heart disease is a very common problem for much of the population.
This spring, the Lafayette Heart Institute, operated by Arnett Clinic and The Care Group cardiologists and GLHS, is scheduled to open its catherization lab, a place where patients can be diagnosed and evaluated for cardiac problems, such as coronary artery lesions. Cardiologists will move into their new offices in the fall. The institute is located on the St. Elizabeth Medical Center campus, where the Regional Treatment Center was located. It consumes a lot of dollars. The CDC expects that number to increase based on the use of expensive, yet effective, treatments used to delay death.