Heart Health Screening 


Our heart works day and night, every minute, every second, from the first second of our birth till the last second, all for our lifetime. For its efficient functioning, we must take care of it by getting screening tests done. Through them, we can get an insight into how well our heart is functioning.

Regular screening lead to early detection of a disease, which makes them easier to treat. The screening test begins before any symptoms appear. For it, you must visit a healthcare provider without any complaint. In this article, we are going to explore the screening tests we need for a healthy heart as well as their importance.


Tests For Heart Health Screening


For keeping an eye on the health of your heart, you need to get the following screening tests done as per the recommendation.


Blood Pressure


The most common and important parameter you need to get checked from the starting of your twenties is your blood pressure. Since high blood pressure often shows no symptoms, monitoring it often is necessary. High blood pressure can cause stroke and heart attack. It may be possible that you come to know about it after having a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, to prevent them get your blood pressure checked once in two years, even if it remains under normal limits.


Fasting Lipid Profile


There are two types of cholesterol you need to keep a check on. One is LDL-the bad cholesterol, and another one is HDL-the good cholesterol. In a lipid profile, you will get a measure of HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

High blood cholesterol also does not show any symptoms and can lead to atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart attack, and stroke. Therefore, from starting of your twenties, get it checked once in two to three years. After forty years of age, your doctor may ask you to get it done more frequently. You can also get your lipid profile done at home through InstaCare.


Body Weight And Measurements


During a routine visit, your healthcare provider may take a reading of your weight and waist circumference. Through it, they will calculate your body mass index to get an insight into your health status. The body mass index will indicate either you are healthy, overweight, obese, or underweight. Being obese and overweight puts you at risk of heart diseases. Therefore, for the health of your heart, you need to maintain a healthy weight.


Blood Glucose Levels


High blood glucose levels can lead to diabetes, which can, in turn, cause kidney disease, heart disease, recurrent infections, tingling in the legs, and many other complications. Your healthcare provider may ask for random blood sugar, fasting blood sugar, or HBA1c to monitor blood glucose levels. Daily exercise and healthy eating can help in preventing high blood sugar, hence diabetes. You can also get HBA1C and diabetes profiles are done through InstaCare.


Smoking, Physical Activity, And Diet


Your healthcare provider may inquire about habits like smoking, what you eat, how much you eat, and how much physical activity you do in a day. If you smoke, they will offer therapy sessions to get rid of it. Moreover, you can make a plan with them that leads to healthy eating and daily physical activity.


Heart Rate


During the screening, your healthcare provider may check your pulse rate, as it is also an indicator of heart disease. Normally, the pulse of a resting person is 60 to 100 beats per minute.


Other Tests For Heart Health Screening


Depending on the results of the above-mentioned tests, after assessment of risk factors and family history, your healthcare provider may order the following tests to get know-how about your heart health.

  • Electrocardiogram- in it, the healthcare provider will observe the rhythm and electrical activity of your heart.
  • Cardiac Stress Test- in it, you may be asked to run on a treadmill, and your heart rate, blood pressure, and ECG will be recorded.
  • Echocardiography-it is an ultrasound of the heart in which the healthcare provider will take images of your heart.

Other tests that your healthcare provider may order are:

  • Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring
  • Coronary CT angiography (CTA)
  • Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI)
  • Coronary catheter angiography


Why Is Heart Health Screening Important?


In Pakistan, 46 people die of heart disease every hour. It happens because people do not take their health seriously. Moreover, many people can not afford screening tests. But to get rid of heart diseases, we all need to pay attention to our health, as many heart conditions are preventable through healthy eating, early screening, and lifestyle modifications. Our heart needs our serious attention, as, without its well being, we can not function.


Conclusion


The heart is a vital organ that has kept us alive. If it stops working, we can not survive. Therefore, we must take good care of it. Regular screenings will help us in doing that. You can get your screening tests done from the comfort of your home through InstaCare.