Heart & Vascular Center

Patient & Visitor Information

We want to do everything in our power to ensure that all of our Mercy Heart and Vascular Center patients and their visitors have the information they need to feel comfortable, confident, and well-cared for. Learn more about important things to know before visiting a loved one at the Heart and Vascular Center, where to eat, stay, and much more. For more information choose from the links to the left.

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Did You Know?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
An American will have a coronary event approximately every 25 seconds.
One American will die every minute from a heart attack.
Symptoms of heart attack can vary between men and women.
Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger a heart attack.
Heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25 - 44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45 - 64 years.
The average age for a first heart attack for men is 66.
Between 70% and 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.
For best heart health women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day and men should have no more than two.
African-Americans have an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Up to 40% of all individuals with PAD have no leg pain.
Smoking increases the risk of PAD by 2 - 6 times and worsens the symptoms of PAD.
Individuals with PAD are at risk for developing coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
High blood pressure usually presents no warning signs or symptoms, so many people don't realize they have it.
About 1 in 3 of U.S. adults has high blood pressure.
High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the U.S.
About 1 in 4 American adults have prehypertension - blood pressure measurements that are higher than normal but not yet in the range of high blood pressure.
Approximately 1 in 6 adults in the U.S. has high cholesterol.
People with high cholesterol have approximately twice the risk for heart disease as people with lower levels.
High cholesterol does not present with any symptoms.
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that adults get their cholesterol checked every five years.
Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common in men and in people aged 65 and older.
Thoracic aortic aneurysms are associated with high blood pressure.
Smoking is associated with a 3 - 5 fold increase in abdominal aortic aneurysms.
The most effective means of preventing aortic aneurysms is to stop smoking, control high blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol levels.
Nearly 6 million people in the U.S. have heart failure.
The most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
The incidence of atrial fibrillation increases with age.
African-Americans experience atrial fibrillation at a much lower rate than whites.
Atrial fibrillation is responsible for 15% - 20% of ischemic strokes.
Atrial fibrillation increases a patient's risk of suffering an ischemic stroke by 5 times.
Every year more than 1 million patients have angioplasty.
Every year about 1 million people survive a heart attack in the U.S.
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation has been proven to reduce re-hospitalization rates.
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation reduces recurrent sudden cardiac death.
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation lessens the need for cardiac medication.
Comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation increases the rate of being physically able to return to work.
Pulmonary hypertension affects older women more commonly than men and younger women.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
Someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds.
Every three to four minutes someone dies of stroke.
Stroke is a leading cause of death for both men and women.
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S.
There are two types of stroke - ischemic stroke (a clot blocks blood flow to the brain) and hemorrhagic stroke (a ruptured blood vessel prevents blood flow to the brain).
About 40% of stroke deaths occur in males, and 60% in females.