Five Questions With: Dr. Carl Levick

"In cardiology, we think in terms of modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for coronary disease."

The Cardiovascular Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals has expanded the cardiovascular services offered at Newport Hospital by opening a new cardiovascular practice based at Newport Hospital and adding three new cardiologists. Dr. Carl Levick and Dr. George Charlton have joined longtime Newport Hospital cardiologist Dr. Ned Gutman in the practice. Dr. Joseph Weiss will join the institute in October. Here, Levick talks about cardiovascular disease and Newport Hospital’s enhanced cardiac care.

PBN: How many people does heart disease kill each year in Rhode Island?
LEVICK:
In 2010, the last year with detailed data, heart disease killed more than 3,000 Rhode Islanders and was the leading cause of death. In fact, the rate of heart disease in Rhode Island is worse than the national average. In comparison, the second leading cause of death in 2010 was cancer with just under 2,800 deaths from all forms of cancer combined.

PBN: What are common symptoms of heart failure?
LEVICK:
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart’s pumping capacity is impaired. This could be due to a weak heart muscle, dysfunction of one of the valves in the heart, heart rhythm disturbance, or other structural heart diseases. The patient typically experiences symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, weight gain, edema (often in the legs), or exertional intolerance. A primary care physician can often diagnose heart failure based on the patient’s symptoms and an office examination.

PBN: Much of what doctors have been saying regarding diet and the heart appears to be undergoing reconsideration. What is your own advice regarding diet for people who wish to have a healthy heart?
LEVICK
: Reports in the lay press can be very confusing with frequently conflicting recommendations. For people who are currently healthy and wish to remain free of heart disease, the most important dietary measure is moderation. I do not recommend strict avoidance of any particular food or food group. Instead, I encourage modest portion sizes of a wide variety of foods. One challenge is that most restaurants serve portions much larger than we need, and Americans are eating outside the home more than ever.

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PBN: What are the major risk factors for heart disease?
LEVICK:
In cardiology, we think in terms of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for coronary disease. Important non-modifiable risk factors are advancing age and a family history of coronary disease. In terms of family history, risk is elevated if you have one or more first-degree relatives (parents or siblings) diagnosed at a relatively early age: women younger 50 years old or men under 40 years old. The major modifiable risk factors include a sedentary lifestyle, uncontrolled high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and cigarette smoking. Of these, quitting smoking has the most significant long-term benefit.

PBN: What are you hearing from your patients about the new services offered at Newport Hospital – do they appreciate not having to travel as far for care?
LEVICK:
Patients have been very positive about our expanded services. It’s much more convenient for them not to have to travel for their cardiac care. Because our cardiology practice is part of the Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute, our patients have access to the expertise of more than 30 cardiology specialists and hundreds of associated health care workers with experience in cardiovascular disorders. Most of these cardiovascular disorders can be treated through our CVI Newport office or at Newport Hospital in conjunction with local internists and family practice providers. Additionally, subspecialty cardiologists such as an electrophysiologist (a specialist in heart rhythm disturbance using devices such as pacemakers) regularly travel from the CVI’s Providence offices to deliver cardiovascular services in our Newport CVI office. It is our hope that the cardiovascular care offered through the CVI’s Newport branch will ultimately help reduce the morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease in the Aquidneck Island area.

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