"Hi everyone, this is Dr. Stephanie Camaglia Reznick. I'm a board certified internist and one of the medical directors for first row primary care here at Oscar.
Today, I'd like to talk about heart disease. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in this country, no matter what demographic you're in — men, women, a variety of different ethnic and racial groups. In fact, in the United States, one out of every four deaths are caused by heart disease.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Consider the risk factors and which ones you can control some of these modifiable, meaning you can change them.
Risk factors and chronic disease
Risk factors include some chronic diseases if they're poorly managed. Such conditions include:
Drinking excessive alcohol, meaning more than one drink per day if you're a woman or two drinks per day if you're a man.
To protect yourself, if you have any of those chronic conditions, make sure that they are well controlled. Follow the advice of your physician and take any medications as prescribed.
Lifestyle changes to consider
If you're overweight or obese, try a weight loss program. If you are at a healthy weight, work at maintaining that weight.
Remember to exercise regularly and keep a well rounded, healthy diet.
If you smoke, work on cutting back and ultimately quitting.
Also, if you're an Oscar member and you live in certain markets, you might be eligible for Virtual Primary Care (opens in new tab)** where Oscar Medical Group clinicians can become your primary care group. We can help maintain health and we can help control chronic medical conditions. We can give you advice so you can become the healthiest version of you possible. This includes talking about and decreasing your risk for heart disease.
I hope you found this information helpful and I'll see you next time."
*Virtual providers like Dr. Reznick are employed by Oscar Medical Group and are not employed by Oscar Health, Inc.
**In 2021, Oscar Virtual Primary Care will only be available to Oscar members on individual & family plans in Miami, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Palm Beach, FL, Houston, TX, Dallas, TX, Austin, TX, Denver, CO, and New York, NY, pending regulatory approval. Oscar's Virtual Primary Care offerings are only available for members ages 18 and over. Prescriptions, visits and services may be limited per provider discretion.Virtual Primary Care is not available in CA. If you have an HSA-compatible high-deductible health plan or a Secure plan in any state, you won't be eligible for $0 follow-up services.
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
![The Risk Factors of Heart Disease [Video]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2Fjnbz686p%2Fhioscar_production%2F0b01198d5b283fe5b30a8b9a1f7f9229f396bc27-3840x2160.png%3Fw%3D3840%26fit%3Dmax%26fm%3Dwebp&w=3840&q=75)