Kenneth J. Bescak, M.D., F.A.C.C., cardiologist with Northern Arizona Healthcare, will be the guest speaker at the Camp Verde Kiwanis meeting, 7 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Lodge at Cliff Castle Casino. The meeting is open to the public, and all community members are invited to attend.

Dr. Bescak’s topic will be, “Practical Management of Lipids.” Managing lipid levels helps people with high cholesterol lower their risk of heart disease. A lipid profile is a group of tests often ordered together to determine risk of coronary heart disease, and include total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol (often called good cholesterol), LDL-cholesterol (often called bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. When any or all results are significantly outside desirable ranges, risk of a cardiac event is increased. If they are only slightly outside the desirable level, diet, exercise, and/or medication may be sufficient to reduce the abnormal levels, thereby reducing the risk.

Board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, Dr. Bescak is a nationally known specialist in lipid management, widely considered the leading indicator of heart disease. Dr. Bescak has earned a reputation for founding successful clinics for cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure. Prior to relocation to the Verde Valley in August, Dr. Bescak was in private practice for 30 years in Ohio. He currently is seeing patients at the Camp Verde Health Center located at 460 Finnie Flat Rd., Camp Verde.