Patients who experience a medical event are often motivated to improve their health by engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as improving their diet and beginning to exercise. For example, patients who are considered smokers prior to surgery may sometimes stop smoking following surgery. However, we are unsure of other changes following surgery. For example, we are unsure if surgery can initiate any changes in exercise and diet, and we are unsure if these changes can influence the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Consistent and positive lifestyle changes will likely reduce an individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the long term.
The goal of this observational study is to learn whether the healthy lifestyle choices made around surgery can influence an individual's long term risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Patients will be observed 1-month prior to and 3-months following surgery to assess their risk of developing cardiovascular disease.