Atherosclerosis

Treatment

When you're at high risk for cardiovascular disease, preventive care is essential for maintaining good health and reducing the risk of a heart attack. Your Mayo Clinic team may recommend one or more of these strategies as part of your personalized atherosclerosis prevention program.

• Cardiology consultation. You'll meet with a doctor trained in heart disease (cardiologist) and specializing in preventive care who'll review your test results and assess your risk factors. Your doctor will recommend preventive measures, including lifestyle changes, and assess you for clinical studies of potential treatments.
• Risk factor management. Treatment options depend on your risk factors and whether you also have a common risk factor such as high blood pressure. Treatment may involve increasing your exercise, changing your diet, and increasing your daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Your doctor may suggest additional clinical studies, or may monitor you closely.
• Coordinated care. You may choose to follow the treatment program through Mayo Clinic. If you prefer to work with your local primary care doctor, Mayo Clinic doctors will share findings and recommendations with your local doctor to ensure a coordinated, long-term, individualized approach to your heart health.
• Percutaneous angioplasty. Coronary (percutaneous) angioplasty is a common medical procedure in which doctors widen narrowed arteries that supply blood to your heart.
• Surgery. Some coronary and peripheral vascular diseases may require a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or peripheral vascular bypass surgery.

Support and advice for families

If you've had a heart attack before age 55, your family members can find support and advice at Mayo Clinic. They can obtain educational material and resources and learn how to support your effort to eat heart-healthy foods, exercise appropriately and adopt other preventive changes.

Medical advice on testing

Research has shown that risk factors may be passed from parent to child through your genes. You can talk with your Mayo Clinic doctor about whether your siblings or children could benefit from testing for risk factors.

Read more about percutaneous angioplasty and heart-healthy foods at MayoClinic.com.