The ideal way to mitigate heart disease is undergoing a heart screen program at least once a year. It would help you understand and manage risk factors relating to your heart. For several people, this could be as straightforward as scheduling a yearly checkup with your physician to determine things such as blood pressure, body mass index and weight, fasting blood glucose, and cholesterol.
Knowing these numbers will help ascertain if you must make lifestyle changes or seek treatment for likely heart disorders. But when is a more comprehensive heart screen program necessary? For patients with more than one risk factor and who are undergoing symptoms such as irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, or chest pain, more cardiac tests should be considered. These tests may include:
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
An electrocardiogram checks your heart rhythm and its electrical system. If you are experiencing an enlarged heart’s risk factors, such as increased blood pressure, or heart disease symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, an irregular heartbeat or palpitations, you need an EKG done. This exam could be beneficial even for people who have risk factors such as diabetes and heart disease running in their family.
Exercise Stress Test
Exercise stress tests look for irregular alterations in your heart while you exercise. If you have heart disease symptoms such as the ones mentioned above or heart problems that is genetic, you need this test done.
Echocardiogram (ECG)
An echocardiogram employs ultrasound to view your heart’s shape and size for irregularities in the heart chambers, valves, blood vessels and walls.
Calcium Scoring
Calcium scoring employs a figured tomography scan and looks for calcium buildup in the arteries’ walls. If you have a medium heart disease risk, this test could help ascertain your susceptibility for a stroke, heart disease or heart attack. Your physician could use the outcome to suggest lifestyle modifications or your treatment plan.
While these above-mentioned tests could help with properly diagnosing and treating heart conditions, they aren’t for all. It is imperative you consult with your primary care physician or cardiologist to ascertain when and whether you must undergo these screenings. Frequency and selection of increased advanced testing must not be determined without your doctor’s knowledge.
If there are heart disease risk factors running in your family, it’s important you learn more about your condition and gain necessary knowledge to mitigate a more dangerous heart problem. Screening programs would offer you the information and tools needed to make changes to your lifestyle or look for treatment.
Being educated about heart disease prevention, screening, and treatment would effectively help manage potential heart disorders.
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