Healthy Living Tips From
Know your numbers
during February’s
‘National Heart Month’
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■
FEBRUARY 2015
Ask the Physician
65
Kane L. Chang, M.D., Director of
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
at Deborah Heart and Lung Center,
answers your question:
Q: My family doctor recently did some tests and told me my
carotid artery is very clogged and wants to send me to my local
hospital for surgery. This makes me nervous. Should I ask another
doctor first?
~ANTOINE R., MANAHAWKIN
Are you at risk for diabetes, heart disease and
other chronic diseases?
How can you know?
There is a system of numbers we can use to
tell us, and by knowing these numbers, you can
take action to make positive changes that will
help prevent the onset of chronic health conditions.
Some of the numbers that are important for
you to know are:
Blood Pressure: People with untreated high blood pressure face
greater lifetime health risks. Your blood pressure is also one of the
strongest markers for heart disease risk, measured as two numbers:
• Systolic pressure is the upper number and is the pressure when
the heart is contracting.
• Diastolic pressure is the second number and is the pressure
when the heart is at rest between beats.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 67
A: Antoine, good question! First and foremost, you should get a
second opinion and thorough testing from a specialty hospital such
as Deborah Heart and Lung Center. Getting a precise measurement
for a blockage in the carotid artery is very important in deciding
whether or not surgery is indicated. The difference between a 70percent blockage and an 80-percent blockage could indicate the difference between surgery or no surgery.
There is a wide range of testing done by physicians, and also a
wide range of skills among those who interpret the results. At Deborah, you are assured the most sophisticated imaging technologies
providing the most accurate results, since this is what we do every
day. And, if surgery is warranted, you have access to some of the
most talented and skilled surgeons in the region.
Whenever deciding on surgery, it is always good to get a second
opinion from an expert on the condition. Call us at 800-555-1990
and we would be happy to schedule an appointment for you.