A message from Doctor Andersen: “Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women in this country – it kills more every year than all cancers combined. It is an exciting time to be a cardiologist — our understanding of this disease has never been greater. We have exceptional therapies to treat this disease today, but our greater challenge is to prevent it.” Heart disease is caused by cholesterol and plaque buildup in the inside walls of the coronary arteries. More than 200 risk factors have been associated with CHD. There are risk factors that are out of our control: sex, age, race, heredity. However, there are risk factors that we can influence: Blood Pressure • Cholesterol • Glucose Control • Nutrition • Physical Activity • Psychosocial Factors (depression, social isolation, anger, anxiety) • Smoking. Dr. Andersen will prove to us, we are not helpless. Much of the heart disease out there is preventable. It should not be the killer it is.