- Your doctor can assess your heart health with standard tests.
- It is possible to improve your heart health with testing and lifestyle changes.
- Experts share which preventative heart tests to prioritize in 2024.
As 2024 approaches and you think about your health goals, now is a good time to prioritize your heart health.
Screening is the best way to evaluate your heart, says Dr. Christopher Tanayan, a sports cardiologist at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital.
“Especially for people who: [over] “I’m 35 years old and have a strong family history of heart disease,” he told Healthline.
However, cardiac screening may differ for different subgroups of the population.
“For example, cardiac screening for competitive athletes may include tests such as electrocardiograms and echocardiograms, and different criteria may apply, whereas generally healthy people entering middle age may only need blood tests. Sometimes,” Tanayan said.
Not sure which screenings mean the most to you? Our experts break down the top 7.
Medical history
Your primary care physician, internist, or general practitioner will collect your medical history. This includes family history of the medical condition and lifestyle habits such as diet, exercise, and drug use.
“It is perhaps the most basic but most cost-effective screening tool because it is (a) inexpensive, (b) easy to perform, and (c) non-invasive and does not require a blood draw. ,(d) because it provides clinicians with so much insight into what’s causing it.It’s the next best step,” Tanayan said.
For example, Dr. Roger Blumenthal, a spokesperson for the AHA and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, said that if you smoke, doctors will prioritize guidance to help smokers.
“We try to use nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum, and drugs such as bupropion and varenicline. Behavior modification also plays an important role,” he said.
Weight and BMI
By measuring your waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), your doctor can determine whether you are overweight or obese, which increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and more.
“BMI [is a] It’s a non-invasive measurement during an office visit,” Tanayan said. “Losing weight has a significant impact on blood pressure control, sleep apnea, insulin resistance, and exercise capacity.”
blood pressure readings
High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so many people don’t realize they have high blood pressure until they get tested.
The American Heart Association (AHA) states that people with blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg should be tested at least once every two years starting at age 20. People with higher blood pressure should consult a doctor. About having them check more often. You can have your doctor measure your blood pressure, or you can measure it at home.
Lifestyle changes and medications can help control blood pressure.
fasting lipoprotein profile
This blood test is done to measure total cholesterol, including LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol.
“Once you reach a certain age, everyone should get a cholesterol test at least once a year. Normal LDL, or bad cholesterol, is less than 100, and so are triglycerides, which are blood fats,” Blumenthal says. Stated.
The test is also important for detecting genetic abnormalities in cholesterol metabolism, and the results provide target thresholds for treatment, Tanayan said. Lifestyle changes and medications are used to treat high cholesterol.
This test is available for people over the age of 20 and every 4 to 6 years for people who are at high risk for heart disease or stroke.
blood sugar test
High blood sugar levels increase your risk of developing insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. All of these can lead to heart disease and stroke if left untreated. Specifically, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves that control blood sugar levels.
One way to screen for type 2 diabetes is to measure the hemoglobin A1c level (A1c %) in your blood. Diabetes is determined by an A1c level of 6.5% or higher.
risk score
Blumenthal said the AHA just released a new risk calculator called .
“Congestive heart failure is many times more common than the risk of heart attack or stroke,” Blumenthal said.
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coronary artery calcium scan
If you are over 35 and have at least two risk factors for heart disease, your doctor may recommend a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test to check the amount of plaque in your heart’s arteries. This includes her CT scan of the heart, which takes images of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. This test helps doctors determine a person’s risk of heart disease.
“[It’s] “It’s really for people who are wondering whether to add medication, generally for cholesterol, but in some cases, to control blood pressure,” Blumenthal said.
According to , this test is suitable for people who:
- People who are hesitant about taking statin therapy and want a clearer understanding of their risks and potential benefits from the medication.
- People who have discontinued statin therapy due to side effects but are considering taking it again.
- Men aged 55 to 80 or women aged 60 to 80 who are at low risk and want to know if statin therapy would be beneficial.
- People ages 40 to 55 who have an estimated 10-year risk of developing heart disease of 5% to 7.5% and have risk factors that increase the likelihood of heart disease.
