New Yorkers are increasingly finding that some of the most sophisticated cardiology services in the city are found in the HHC hospitals in their own neighborhoods. City residents can receive treatment for many types of cardiovascular disease, including diseases of the heart, stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, congenital heart defects, hardening of the arteries and circulatory system diseases. Preventive and comprehensive cardiac care including diagnostic screenings, stress tests, cardiac catheterization, surgery and other services are available in HHC hospitals in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

Cardiologists at HHC hospitals have access to leading-edge diagnostic tools. For example, HHC hospitals in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx are home to a 64 slice, $1.5 million Computerized Tomography (CT) scanner. This cutting-edge equipment allows physicians to pinpoint heart vessel blockages simply by looking at a screen, which reduces the necessity of invasive cardiac catheterizations. Another advantage of the new scanner is that it produces results in a fraction of the time required by older models—two seconds for an image of the heart and 10 seconds for an entire body image.

HHC hospitals have also developed some unique prevention programs to reach out to new immigrant communities, some of whom are actually at greater risk to develop cardiovascular disease. For example, South Asians are four times as likely as Caucasian or other Asian populations to be diagnosed with early onset Coronary Artery Disease. Coney Island Hospital, Elmhurst and other HHC hospitals are reaching out to the Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian communities to encourage cardiovascular screening and save lives.

Through education, New Yorkers can also learn how a nutritious diet and regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart attack and how to recognize the common—and less common warning signs.

Click here to locate an HHC hospital near you with cardiology services.