Heart Attack Primary Prevention

The Heart Attack Primary Prevention Program in the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center offers advanced medical expertise to patients on ways to control and eliminate risk factors for heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.

The Heart Attack Primary Prevention Program offers advanced medical expertise to patients who have had a heart attack, or who may be at risk for a heart attack, on ways to control and eliminate risk factors for heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. These risk factors may include:

Program Components

New patients joining the program meet with member of the care team and undergo:

• A comprehensive evaluation by a cardiologist, nurse and nutritionist
• Specialized blood testing to measure biomarkers of cardiovascular disease
• Diagnostic testing, such as stress testing or coronary artery calcium scans
• Support services such as nutrition classes, yoga and meditation, smoking cessation counseling and exercise advice

What to Expect

Patients can expect to receive:

• A two-hour initial evaluation with a cardiologist and nutritionist
• Recommendations and treatment strategies to reduce cardiac risk

You can begin to determine your own personal risk for coronary heart disease by completing the following assessments:

• Framingham risk assessment for women
• Framingham risk assessment for men
• Body mass index (BMI)

Please note that while these assessments can help you begin to understand your risk for a heart attack, it is important to discuss these results with your doctor so that you and your care team can determine what steps you can take to reduce your risk.