February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on and spread awareness about heart disease. The United States, and the Appalachian region in particular, has a troublesome rate of heart disease, which is the number one killer of men and women in the United States.

In many cases, heart disease is preventable, and adopting a healthy lifestyle could be the key to fighting heart health issues. Some changes to consider include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, increasing physical activity and getting regular checkups from a primary care provider.

Being familiar with risk factors and symptoms of heart disease can save someone’s life. Experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pains, changes in heart rate or rhythm or high blood pressure could be signs of a heart condition that needs immediate medical attention. Dr. Raymon Neslon and Dr. Madhava Pally are PMC general cardiologists who are equipped to treat patients with these symptoms. PMC Cardiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases of the cardiovascular system by performing a variety of tests, including ECG or EKG, stress tests, echocardiogram and more.

Pikeville Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute provides a wide variety of services paired with highly-trained staff to treat heart disease affecting patients of the region. State-of-the-art equipment and technology enable PMC cardiac specialists to perform procedures that were previously only available in larger cities. Together, these things keep patients close to home and family for both the procedure and the recovery time.

To schedule an appointment, call 606-430-2201