The sudden death of beloved actor James Gandolfini, 51, has prompted a
wave of news coverage about heart attacks and the associated risk factors.
Gandolfini, best known for his role as
Tony Soprano, died in Rome on June 19 after suffering cardiac arrest.
NBC News quotes Dr. Michael Miller, director of the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Center for Preventive Cardiology: “A quarter million Americans experience sudden cardiac death each year. Half of them experience sudden death as the initial symptom.”
“There are factors you can change that lower your risk including — getting up and moving more, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol,” points out Donna Arnett, president of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, in a
USA Today interview. Arnett adds that genetics also can be a factor.
With that in mind, go that extra mile to assess your patients’ heart health – even if they haven’t had any symptoms.