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When you are a doctor, one part of preventing heart disease in your patients is paying attention to the warning signs, diagnosing conditions and treating them appropriately. One common condition that can ultimately cause heart disease is high cholesterol. Cardiology malpractice suits will sometimes stem from the fact that a physician failed to diagnose the high cholesterol, or they diagnosed it, but failed to treat it properly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in every six American adults has high cholesterol – that's 17% of the U.S. adult population. High cholesterol can play a huge role in the development of heart disease, but unfortunately, it does not actually have any symptoms. If you regularly visit your doctor, they should be screening your cholesterol levels, especially if there is a history in your family of the condition. Treatment options your doctor should encourage you to explore include:
- Taking medication
- Eating a healthy diet and trying to maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking if you are a smoker
- Exercise regularly
It's important for your doctor to diagnose high cholesterol as soon as possible so you have a chance at treating it. When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries and causes atherosclerosis – a form of heart disease. It makes your arties narrow, blood flow to the heart slows down and that may result in chest pain. If the blood flow is completely cut off, you could have a heart attack.
Were you the victim of cardiology malpractice in Texas, Oklahoma or Arkansas? Contact The Girards Law Firm today for a free consultation at 888-333-9709.