Heart Health
Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of death globally, affecting millions of lives each year. Keeping your heart healthy can significantly lower your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular issues.
Additionally, maintaining good heart health through lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and managing blood pressure can enhance overall longevity and improve your quality of life.
Taking steps to protect your heart now, no matter what age, also reduces the risk of developing more severe complications later in life.
We offer cardiovascular treatment for these conditions:​
High blood pressure
The causes of high blood pressure include a diet high in salt, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol consumption, and stress. Additionally, conditions like obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease can also lead to high blood pressure.
We can tailor a treatment plan to meet the unique needs of each individual, considering important factors like race, sex, and age to ensure the best decisions are made regarding your care.
A customized medication treatment plan can help patients manage their blood pressure and effectively reduce the risks of developing or worsening heart disease.
High cholesterol
This can be due to lifestyle factors like eating foods high in saturated fats, not getting enough exercise, smoking, and drinking excessively. Additionally, some people may have a genetic predisposition that makes them more likely to have high cholesterol. It's important to monitor your cholesterol levels with routine blood tests.
We understand factors like race, sex, and age are important in choosing the right medication for our clients. We use the latest guidelines and tools to assess your unique risk factors and tailor a treatment plan to fit your needs.
Treating high cholesterol sooner can significantly lower the risk of heart disease and stroke by reducing the levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. Which results in less fatty substances building up in your arteries.
What are symptoms of high blood pressure?
Symptoms in children
In children, high blood pressure (hypertension) is often asymptomatic, meaning there are usually no noticeable signs. When symptoms do appear, they may include:
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headaches
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fatigue
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vomiting (severe cases)
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chest pain (severe cases)
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Children with underlying health conditions like kidney disease or heart defects are more prone to hypertension, while older children, especially those who are overweight, may develop high blood pressure due to lifestyle factors like poor diet and lack of exercise​
Symptoms in adults
In adults, hypertension typically presents no clear symptoms until it reaches dangerous levels, potentially leading to:
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headaches
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dizziness
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shortness of breath
Persistent high blood pressure in adulthood increases the risk of severe complications, including heart attacks, stroke, and kidney disease.
It’s essential to monitor blood pressure regularly in both children and adults to catch and manage high blood pressure early, as childhood hypertension can continue into adulthood if left untreated.
How does The Nudge treat high blood pressure and cholesterol?
The First Step in treating high blood pressure and cholesterol is connecting with our provider at The Nudge, you can begin your treatment journey from the comfort of your home with telehealth virtual visit or we can schedule you for an office visit at our location in Wichita, Kansas. Scheduling your first appointment is quick and easy—often available within just a few days. Start by clicking the request appointment button and filling out the form. ​​
What to Expect During Your First Visit
Evaluation
Your initial visit is all about understanding you. During this session, you'll meet with one of our compassionate providers, who will ask about your current symptoms, personal and medical history, and your mental health goals. We’ll listen closely to ensure that virtual care at The Nudge is the right fit for you.
Diagnosis
After discussing your symptoms and family history your provider may require you to have blood drawn to test the levels of cholesterol in your blood and check your blood pressure to determine if you need treatment for high blood pressure. Then your provider can offer an initial diagnosis.
Personalized Treatment Plan
You'll work closely with your provider to develop a customized plan to manage your symptoms. If medication is appropriate, your provider will explain your options, discussing the benefits and potential side effects of each.
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If you're diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) your provider will recommend lifestyle changes like reducing sodium intake, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly to significantly lower blood pressure.
If you're diagnosed with high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) a heart-healthy diet will be crucial for your health. This includes reducing saturated fats and trans fats while increasing intake of monounsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil and nuts, and polyunsaturated fats from fish. Research shows one of the best ways to lower bad cholesterol is regular physical activity, such as 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity exercise.
Medication Management
High blood pressure is often treated with medications like:
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Vasodilators: These include hydralazine (Apresoline), minoxidil (Loniten), and nitroglycerin (Nitrostat).
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ACE inhibitors: These include benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and trandolapril (Mavik). Lisinopril is the most commonly prescribed ACE inhibitor in the United States.
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Beta blockers: These include acebutolol, atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol, metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), nebivolol (Bystolic), and propranolol (Inderal LA, InnoPran XL). Some beta blockers affect the heart, while others affect both the heart and blood vessels.
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Diuretics: Also known as water pills, diuretics help the kidneys remove excess salt and water from the body through urine.
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Calcium channel blockers (CCBs): These include diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac).
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Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs): These include losartan (Cozaar).
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High cholesterol is often treated with medications like:
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Statins: These drugs include atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol XL), lovastatin (Altoprev), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin, rosuvastatin (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor). Statins help lower LDL and triglycerides, and slightly increase HDL.
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Fibrates: These drugs help lower LDL and triglycerides, and increase HDL.
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Bile acid sequestrants: These drugs include Colestid, Questran, and Locholest.
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PCSK9 inhibitors: These drugs include Praluent, Repatha, and Leqvio.
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Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors: These drugs include Zetia and Nexlizet.
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Adenosine triphosphate-citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitors: These drugs include Nexletol and Nexlizet.
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Recommended supplements:​
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Niacin: Also known as vitamin B3, niacin can help lower LDL and triglycerides, and increase HDL.
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Omega-3 fatty acids. ​
