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How Do I Get My Heart Health Checked?
Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women. Therefore, it is crucial that one regularly gets his or heart health checked. The main contributing factors to heart disease include: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. There are various tests and methods for checking heart heath including blood work and scans. Below you will find some easy ways to check the health of your heart.
One way of determining heart health is through blood tests. Testing for bad cholesterol levels can provide insight into whether one will possibly develop heart disease. In addition, there is a test that can determine if one is in the midst of heart failure or is likely to develop plaque in the arteries. However, one blood test alone cannot determine one’s heart health. There are many blood tests that can check for various proteins in the blood which may indicate heart disease.
In addition to blood work, there are various heart scans that can diagnose heart disease or other problems. A 64 CT scan is a 3-D scan of the heart that can determine if one has an existing condition or is prone to a heart condition. Furthermore, these scans are less invasive than some of the traditional heart tests.
Some of the other tests one can receive to check his or her heart health are electrocardiograms, cardiac stress testing, echocardiograms, intravascular ultrasounds and chest X-rays. In an electrocardiogram the patient is hooked up to a machine where the heartbeat is electronically monitored. This test can provide some insight as to whether there is a blockage and if the heart is functioning properly. Cardiac stress testing is a more invasive exam in which the patient is asked to run on a treadmill for a period of time while his or her heart rate is being monitored. This test can be difficult, but it can also provide valuable data regarding the health of one’s heart. Intravascular ultrasound attaches a small catheter to the end of the ultrasound probe to obtain a view of the arteries. A chest X-ray is a simple procedure and can give some clues as to one’s heart health but usually needs to be combined with other tests.
Heart health is an important aspect to staying well. Therefore, it is crucial that one obtains regular heart health checks through blood work and or scanning exams. These tests can detect risk factors , early disease and can help prevent heart disease.