Coronary Artery Disease Specialist

Gus Armenakis, MD -  - Primary Care Physician

Gus Armenakis, MD

Primary Care Physician & Internal Medicine Physician located in Tamarac, FL

Coronary artery disease is the most prevalent type of heart disease — the leading cause of death in the United States. While there’s no cure for coronary artery disease, Gus Armenakis, MD, a board-certified primary care physician in Tamarac, Florida, offers customized management to protect your health. He provides comprehensive care to manage your disease and partners with leading cardiologists in Broward County to ensure you receive the best possible collaborative care. Call Dr. Armenakis or schedule a consultation online today.

Coronary Artery Disease

What is coronary artery disease?

Like every other tissue in your body, your heart needs blood to function correctly. Your coronary arteries are the blood vessels that deliver blood to your heart. Coronary artery disease develops when your coronary arteries become clogged and narrow, which reduces the blood flow to your heart. 

Coronary artery disease usually develops slowly, and you might not know you have a problem until you have a heart attack or another cardiac event. However, as your condition progresses, you might notice symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.

What causes coronary artery disease?

Many factors contribute to coronary artery disease. For example, smoking, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure contribute to your risk of coronary artery disease. Other risk factors for the condition include:

  • Age
  • A family history of coronary artery disease
  • Being overweight or obese
  • High stress
  • High-fat, high-salt diet
  • Excessive alcohol consumption
  • Sedentary lifestyle

Many of these factors are preventable. When coronary artery disease is diagnosed early enough, you might be able to regulate your condition and protect your health with lifestyle modifications.

How is coronary artery disease diagnosed?

If you have severe chest pain or shortness of breath, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. However, if you have a family history of coronary artery disease and other risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, you should talk to Dr. Armenakis about your concerns. 

After reviewing your personal and family medical history and discussing any symptoms, Dr. Armenakis performs a variety of tests to assess your cardiovascular health. For example, he can order blood tests, electrocardiograms, and imaging tests like ultrasounds, X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. If necessary, Dr. Armenakis can provide a referral to a cardiologist who can perform an angiogram.

How is coronary artery disease treated?

Dr. Armenakis provides comprehensive, personalized treatment plans to manage coronary artery disease. Your program includes lifestyle adjustments to improve your cardiovascular and overall health. For example, Dr. Armenakis can help you quit smoking, adjust your diet, and add physical activity to your daily routine.

Dr. Armenakis can also prescribe medicine to dilate your coronary arteries and manage other conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol that contribute to your disease. 

If necessary, Dr. Armenakis collaborates with your cardiologist to ensure continuity of care if you need more invasive treatments such as stenting to manage your condition.

Call Dr. Armenakis or make an appointment online today if you’re concerned about coronary artery disease. The earlier your condition is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat and manage.