Florida Times-Union
by Beth Reese Cravey

Heart disease was following Jane Herndon’s family, killing her mother, then threatening Herndon. Later, her father, sister and daughter would be added to the list…About 80 percent of heart disease is preventable through weight control and diet, aerobic fitness, cholesterol management, avoiding smoking and tobacco and cholesterol and blood pressure management, said Parag C. Patel, a transplant cardiologist at Jacksonville’s Mayo Clinic and Herndon’s cardiologist. But other cases, such as Herndon’s “familial cardiomyopathy,” are hereditary. The family’s future generations are “highly likely” to be at risk as well and there is little they can do about it, Patel said.

Reach: The Florida Times-Union reaches more than 120,000 daily and 173,000 readers Sunday.

Context: Parag Patel, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic internist and cardiologist with the Mayo Clinic Transplant Center.

Contact: Tia Ford

Tags: Dr. Parag Patel, Florida Times-Union, heart transplant, transplant cardiologist, Uncategorized