While Dr. Alvaro Vargas Pelaez is a board-certified cardiologist, his approach to patients has its roots in primary care, where understanding an individual’s habits, behavior, and lifestyle are critical components of any treatment plan. “I enjoy helping people overcome obstacles on their way to better health. Whether that’s giving up smoking, losing weight, increasing exercise, or decreasing stress, I need to know my patients and build trust in stages to facilitate change. It’s a delicate dance between listening and counseling.”
Inspired by a father who has practiced ‘old school’ cardiology in their native Colombia for more than 40 years, Vargas is interested in Latino health and has become a certified English to Spanish medical interpreter. He believes increasing access and understanding through language is an effective way of overcoming healthcare disparities that may lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and valvular heart disease, among other cardiac conditions.
