If your family has a history of heart disease or stroke, your children may be at risk of developing these conditions. At the St. Louis Children’s and Washington University Heart Center, our experts offer services that promote a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart disease.
How Can Preventive Heart Care Help My Child?
The Preventive Cardiology Clinic evaluates and treats children up to 18 years of age who have a higher risk of developing heart disease. Our expert doctors and nutritionists can help keep your child healthy to avoid more serious conditions later in life.
Preventive heart care benefits children who have risk factors for heart disease, including:
- Hypercholesterolemia, abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the blood
- Family history or inherited risk of heart disease or stroke
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Obesity or being overweight
Many of these factors can lead to serious medical conditions, such as heart attack and stroke, that can strike as early as age 30. Our heart experts specialize in lowering your child’s risk for heart disease through heart-healthy strategies.
Heart Disease Prevention: Services We Offer
Our approach focuses on developing a healthy lifestyle for your entire family. Children do better at making good nutrition and physical activity choices when the whole family adopts these lifestyle changes.
We provide diagnosis, treatment and monitoring services to reduce the risk of heart disease, including:
- A comprehensive evaluation of your child for abnormal cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risks
- Personalized treatment plans to enhance your child’s health
- Family education about the risk factors that contribute to heart disease
- A dedicated dietitian who provides nutrition services for an eating plan tailored to your family’s needs
- Consultations on medicines that may help when other approaches fail
- Genetic screening services for inherited risk factors
- Counseling on how to put your treatment plan into action – affordably and effectively
