THE GLORIA SAKER WOMEN’S HEART PROGRAM AT CENTRASTATE
Preventing Heart Disease in Women
If you’re like many women, you may tend to put family and “to-do” lists before your own needs. But if you’re noticing any heart disease symptoms, it’s something that you should not put off.
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. That’s why CentraState offers heart health strategies designed especially for women.
Located in our Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus, the Gloria Saker Women’s Heart Program at Centrastate was created to address the specific cardiovascular needs of women, which differ from men. We’ll assess your risk factors for cardiovascular disease and help you identify lifestyle changes – even small, easy-to-implement modifications – designed to reduce your risk and prevent heart disease.
Developed and managed by women, the Women’s Heart Program is led by medical director and board-certified cardiologist Sangeeta Garg, MD, and nurse practitioner Tricia Marceante, MSN, APN-C. We provide in-depth cardiac evaluations, individualized treatment plans, and assistance in preventing cardiovascular disease – including health, wellness, and fitness programs – all in partnership with your own physicians.
OUR SERVICES
Know Your Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Our team at the Gloria Saker Women’s Heart Program can help you assess your risk for heart disease and diagnose any issues. Risk factors for women include:
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
- Metabolic syndrome
- Strong family history of coronary artery disease
- Hypertension, with a systolic blood pressure above 120
- Body mass index higher than 25
- Tobacco use
- Inactive lifestyle
- High cholesterol
The first step in identifying your risk factors is an individualized heart disease risk assessment. This helps us better understand your lifestyle and needs so we can create an appropriate treatment plan. Our risk assessment includes questions about:
- Family health history
- Physical activity level
- Nutrition habits
- Ability to handle stress
- Tobacco and alcohol usage
- Sleep habits
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol levels
- Blood glucose testing
- Weight/body mass index
- EKG (electrocardiogram)
- Other cardiac diagnostic tests
If needed, other cardiac diagnostic tests include stress tests, Holter monitor, continuous blood pressure monitoring, and echocardiograms. We offer a specialized echocardiogram for women who may be undergoing cancer treatments. Some women may require a cardiac catheterization, which is performed by a collaborating interventional cardiologist.
At your first appointment, we’ll answer any questions you may have and conduct the individualized risk assessment and physical exam. Any additional cardiac testing appointments can be made at that point. We also can make referrals for any necessary services that can affect cardiovascular risk, such as for sleep apnea testing.
Formulating a Customized Wellness Plan
Based on your assessment and completed test results, we work in partnership with you and your primary care physician to develop a customized wellness plan that addresses any risk factors you may have. This includes providing education about heart health, identifying any barriers to achieving wellness goals, and focusing on changes that can be incorporated into your lifestyle to reduce your risk for heart disease.
LIFESTYLE AND WELLNESS EDUCATION
At The Gloria Saker Women’s Heart Program at CentraState, your cardiologist and nurse practitioner will guide you in making healthy lifestyle changes to help prevent or slow the progression of heart disease symptoms. Depending on your unique needs, we can help you with a healthy eating plan, smoking cessation advice, a weight management program, stress management techniques, a personalized exercise plan, or diabetes management.
Nutrition, Weight-Loss, and Stress Management Programs
We can connect you to an array of engaging wellness programs available at the Star and Barry Tobias Health Awareness Center to enhance heart health. These include:
- Nutrition counseling—A registered dietitian designs a personalized approach to healthy eating and weight management.
- Healthy cooking demonstrations—These interactive sessions feature different themes and are held in a teaching kitchen.
- Weight-loss programs—Group sessions taught by registered dietitians are custom designed for those with cardiac risk factors.
- Metabolic analysis—This includes sophisticated computerized metabolic rate analysis and interpretation of results, which is an important first step in achieving weight management goals.
- Stress management programs—We offer an array of meditation and stress relief programs, with topics ranging from music-based healing to aromatherapy.
- Meditative movement programs—Beyond the traditional tai chi and yoga classes, meditative movement programs are among the latest offerings at CentraState.
Health Coaches at CentraState
If you have diabetes or hypertension—both causes of cardiac issues—our registered nurse health coaches can provide free, personalized guidance to improve your heart health. They serve as a virtual arm of your physician practice to help you achieve your individual health goals.
Smoking Cessation Programs
We know it can seem daunting to quit smoking—but our trained tobacco dependence counselors provide proven methods to help you achieve your smoke-free goal. A group setting offers mutual support, positive reinforcement, and encouragement. Learn more about our smoking cessation classes.
Physical Activity
CentraState’s Fitness and Wellness Center offers the latest strength and cardiovascular equipment, two pools, and more than 170 group exercise classes each week for all fitness levels and ages. The latest offerings include a motivation-inspired experience called MovofitTM, which focuses on the science of behavior change to help you reach your full potential.
SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT
You can be referred to the Gloria Saker Women’s Heart Program at CentraState by your primary care physician, or request an appointment without a referral. To request an appointment, fill out the form or call 732-637-6366.
We accept many insurance plans. Please contact your insurance carrier to review your plan’s coverage and benefits. Certain cardiac imaging studies require pre-authorization, and our nurse practitioner can help you coordinate these.