The Preventive Cardiology Program is committed to improving the health of children at risk for heart disease. We care for children who have cardiac risk factors for heart and vascular disease which may include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and a family history of heart attacks and strokes.
Patients cared for in this clinic have the following conditions:
Director, Preventive Cardiology Program, Exercise Lab, and Cardiac Rehabilitation Program; Attending Physician, Pediatric Cardiology and Electrophysiology; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
View Dr. Ward's profile.
Division Head, Community-Based Primary Care Pediatrics; Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
View Dr. Benuck's profile.
Attending Physician, Pediatric Cardiology; Instructor of Pediatrics in Cardiology and Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
View Dr. Baptista De Faria's profile.
Attending Physician, Pediatric Cardiology; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
View Dr. Patel's profile.
Attending Physician, Pediatric Cardiology
View Dr. Perez's profile.
Attending Physician, Pediatric Cardiology; Instructor of Pediatric Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
View Dr. Marma's profile.
You can make an appointment with the Preventive Cardiology team through a pediatrician referral, or by calling 1.800.KIDS.DOC (1.800.543.7362).
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells. Your body, especially the liver, makes all the cholesterol it needs. The cholesterol circulates through the blood. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as meat, eggs or full fat dairy products. Your liver produces more cholesterol when you eat a diet high in saturated and trans-fats. Too much cholesterol can form plaque between layers of artery walls, making it harder for your heart to circulate blood, which can lead to heart disease, strokes or early heart attacks. 
High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Research shows that the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries begins in childhood and progresses slowly into adulthood. As your blood cholesterol rises, so does the risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol levels can be affected by your age, gender, family health history and diet.
There are many types of cholesterol. There are two types generally discussed. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), which is often referred to as the “good” cholesterol, and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), which is the “bad” cholesterol. 
This type of cholesterol is often called “the bad” cholesterol. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in your blood, it can contribute to the formation of plaque buildup in the arteries.
The arteries can become narrow and even clog, causing a reduction in blood flow. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
This type of cholesterol is often called “the good” cholesterol. It helps remove the “bad” LDL cholesterol from arteries and helps protect you from heart attack and stroke.
Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your blood. High levels of triglycerides are often found in children and adolescents with other risk factors such as high LDL and low HDL.
High blood pressure in children and adolescents is now commonly observed. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, vision loss and memory loss.
Obesity occurs when a child is significantly over the ideal weight for height. Obesity in children is determined by using a BMI percentile (measure of weight in relation to height). Obesity can increase risk factors for heart disease, elevated cholesterol, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and orthopedic problems.
At your appointment, our team will develop a comprehensive plan for your child based on the following information. We may:
Patients will have an evaluation with an experienced and certified clinical exercise physiologist. The exercise physiologist will provide exercise consultation/intervention and promote healthy lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in the future, as well as improve overall quality of life, social and emotional health.
The assessment will include the following interventions:
The following websites offer more information on healthy eating and living.
The following organizations offer good programming to help keep kids active:
We’re participating in the CASCADE FH Registry, which is a database that is collecting information such as diagnoses, patient outcomes and disease patterns for people with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The goal of the CASCADE FH Registry is to improve the quality of care for individuals with FH, advance the scientific understanding of the condition and increase the rate of diagnosis. Learn more about the CASCADE FH Registry.
