Preventing Cardiovascular Disease: The Approach at Pavia Santurce Hospital
By: Maria Camila Sanchez
January 31, 2024
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and Puerto Rico is no exception. A significant portion of the Puerto Rican population has risk factors associated with these conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.
“If you take 10 patients over 40 years old, 3 to 4 of them are going to be hypertensive, and they are already a risk factor,” said the prominent cardiologist, Dr. Edmundo Jordán exclusively to the Revista Medicina y Salud Pública.
To serve this population, the Pavia Santurce Hospital has prioritized preventive medicine. They have the necessary instruments and trained personnel not only for treating cardiovascular diseases but also for their prevention.
“From prevention, we have facilities to care for patients,” Dr. Jordán noted. “We have a medical faculty with primary doctors, family doctors, internists, and specialists in clinical, interventional cardiology, and electrophysiology.”
Main risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Hypertension is a prevalent risk factor in the Puerto Rican population, along with genetic factors, smoking, high cholesterol levels, and chronic diseases such as diabetes. “The population of Puerto Rico has more than a 17% diabetic prevalence,” added Dr. Jordán.
Therefore, the Pavia Santurce Hospital emphasizes the importance of evaluating and addressing these risk factors to reduce mortality rates due to cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, Dr. Jordán highlighted the importance of cardiovascular evaluation as these diseases may not always present symptoms, emphasizing the need for timely detection and intervention.
“Even if you don’t have symptoms, know that you need a cardiovascular evaluation,” he stressed, adding that symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, respiratory distress, and collapses could indicate the need for immediate evaluation and preventive measures.
Multidisciplinary approach
Addressing cardiovascular disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. Primary doctors, nurses, social workers, and specialists in other areas play an integral role in comprehensive treatment to promote good health and quality of life for the community.
“Our goal, as doctors, is that the patient can have quality of life and can reach old age without cardiovascular events,” Dr. Jordán concluded. The Pavia Santurce Hospital stands ready to serve the Puerto Rican population and prevent cardiovascular disease through proactive and comprehensive care.