How to Check Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the Western world. But the news on prevention and treatment has never been better. Science has made great advances in diagnosing coronary disease and treating it. The first cardiac by-pass operation was in the 1960s, not so long ago. This procedure has improved and become far less invasive. In many cases today, the operation is not even necessary as medication has improved and cardiologists can insert stents to deal with narrowing in the coronary arteries.Visit your physician if you have any reason to think you might be susceptible to heart disease.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit your physician and ask for a checkup if you have any symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness or chest pain, especially on exertion. It is also worth having a checkup if you have a family history, particularly of a close relative suffering heart problems before old age. Seek help and advice if you are a smoker or overweight. Ask to have your blood pressure checked routinely. The standard is120/80 millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

• 2

  Ask your physician to check your cholesterol levels. A high level can lead to problems with the coronary arteries. Doctors can control this easily with a combination of statins, dietary change and exercise. Your physician also may send you for a chest X-ray, which is a first-line test to check the size of the heart muscle and blood vessels. The physician may order an electrocardiogram. This is a simple, painless test that shows the electrical impulses in the heart and can detect, for example, a past heart attack.

• 3

  Attend a clinic for a stress test if your doctor recommends. This is nothing to worry about. A technician will have you to walk or run on a treadmill while recording wires attach to your body. This test indicates whether your heart is under stress when you are exercising. If this test indicates a need for further investigation, your doctor may send you for an angiogram.

• 4

  Have a cardiac catheterization if your doctor recommends. You will receive sedation, then a doctor inserts a catheter into the cardiac area under local anesthetic. The doctor will insert dye and will be clearly able to see any blockages, by use of special X-rays called angiograms. You will receive appropriate treatment.