Cardiology - Dignity Health Medical Group - Bakersfield, CA

We offer referrals for heart care and treat patients for a wide variety of heart conditions, including but not limited to:

• Arrhythmias

• Congenital heart disease

• Coronary artery disease

• Heart attack

• Heart failure

• Heart valve disease

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

We provide access to advanced heart care screening and treatment methods and strive to make it easy to access the services you need. Additional heart-related services include:

• Heart surgery

• Vascular care 

• Electrophysiology treatments

Our skilled board-certified cardiologists and nurse practitioners focus on building long-term relationships with you and your family. When additional care is needed, our team also partners with:

• Cardiac electrophysiologists

• Cardiothoracic surgeons

• Cardiac rehabilitation specialists

• Interventional cardiologists

• Radiologists and other imaging specialists

Small choices make a big difference in heart health. Lifestyle changes you can make today to lower your risk for cardiovascular disease include:

• Eat right and maintain a healthy weight. Our physicians and cardiologists can help you build healthy eating habits. If you're overweight, losing even a few pounds can help reduce strain on your heart and lower blood pressure.

• Reduce stress. Long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar and blood pressure — all common heart disease risk factors. Try stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, walking and connecting with others.

• Exercise regularly. People who have had heart attacks may benefit from regular physical activity. Exercise can help control blood fats and blood glucose, maintain weight and lower blood pressure.

• Don't smoke. Tobacco use lowers good cholesterol, raises blood pressure, and promotes clotting.

• Control your cholesterol. Most heart disease results from fatty buildup that narrows the vessels supplying blood to your heart. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or "bad cholesterol," account for most of the cholesterol in your blood and are largely responsible for plaque formation.

• Control high blood pressure. High blood pressure damages arteries, setting the stage for plaque formation. It also increases stress on the heart muscle, which can cause damage.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States. While chest pain is a common symptom, women may also experience different symptoms, including:

• Shortness of breath

• Nausea, abdominal pain or heartburn

• Unusual fatigue

• Sweating and dizziness

• Neck, jaw, shoulder or upper back pain

Beyond standard risk factors, unique factors for women include:

• High job stress: Linked to a 40% increase in cardiovascular disease risk

• Chronic inflammatory conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis): Can nearly double risk

• Pregnancy complications (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes): Linked to increased heart disease risk later in life

• Metabolic syndrome: Has a greater impact on women than men

• Smoking: Can be a greater risk factor for women than men

• Low estrogen after menopause: May increase risk for cardiovascular disease in smaller blood vessels

If you have these symptoms or risk factors, talk to your care team.

We accept many major insurance plans to help make care more accessible. We put patients first, so you can have peace of mind knowing covered care options may be available close to home.