August 7, 2013, ST. LOUIS - Michael Lim, MD, co-director of the Center for Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care at Saint Louis University Hospital and a SLUCare physician, says news of George W. Bush's recent heart procedure offers good lessons for many of us.
News reports say President Bush had a stent implanted after physicians found a clogged coronary artery.
"Despite the fact we saw the president jogging on a daily basis while he was in office and he always looked lean and trim, he is subject to the same kind of risks and the same type of diseases that the rest of us are," Dr. Lim told KMOX Radio.
He says it raises an important awareness for people to know their own heart health.
"It's the importance of seeing your doctor on a regular basis, knowing your numbers, knowing your heart numbers," says Dr. Lim. "The heart numbers we talk about is knowing your blood pressure and knowing your cholesterol and knowing your blood sugar from a standpoint of developing diabetes. These are all important indicators of whether there is something brewing."
He also adds it's important to know that just because President Bush had a stent implanted does not mean his heart disease is cured. Like all patients, he will now look to lifestyle changes and perhaps be prescribed medications.
For more about coronary artery disease, click here.
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