Top Eight Screenings for Heart Disease
In addition to your regularly scheduled physical exam, there are situations where you may need additional diagnostic testing. At Hillandale Primary Care & Laser Center, we can arrange for you to schedule any necessary testing either at our Center or with other diagnostic facilities.
Heart Disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was listed as the underlying cause of death in approximately 1 of every 3 deaths of the 840,678 people that died in the US. In the United States, it is the leading cause of death. Not to mention $351.2 billion in 2014-2015 annual total cost of CVD in the US.
Coronary Heart Disease in 2016 was the leading cause (43.2%) of deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease in the US, followed by stroke (16.9%), High Blood Pressure (9.8%), Heart Failure (9.3%), diseases of the arteries (3.0%), and other cardiovascular diseases (17.7%).
Blood Tests
If your heart muscle has been damaged from a heart attack, your body releases substances in your blood. There is a blood test that measures the level of C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a marker for inflammation, and atherosclerosis has an inflammatory component. Patients who have elevated levels of CRP have an increased risk for heart attack, sudden death, stroke, and vascular disease.
Your doctor will also look at your blood work to make sure that you are within the normal range for the following tests:
- Total Cholesterol
- LDL Cholesterol
- HDL Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- Non-HDL Cholesterol
- High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein
- Lipoprotein
- Plasma ceramides
- Natriuretic peptides
Work with your doctor to make sure you stay within a healthy range for all of these blood tests to help you have a healthy heart.
Screening for Heart Disease
If your doctor is concerned about you regarding heart disease, here are some of the screenings they can perform to determine your diagnosis or get you help:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
An ECG records these electrical signals and can help your doctor detect irregularities in your heart’s rhythm and structure.
- Holter monitoring
- Echocardiogram (Ultrasound)
- Exercise Stress test
- Nuclear cardiac stress test
- Cardiac catheterization
- Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Risk Factors
Some of the health factors and behaviors that increase risks for heart disease and stroke are:
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
- Nutrition
- Overweight / Obesity
- Cholesterol
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
If you or a family member become ill or injured, we hope one of our Hillandale Primary Care offices will be your first stop. In most cases, we will be able to care for your illness or injury at our office, but if not, we will do everything necessary to expedite referrals to other healthcare providers as needed.
Hillandale Primary Care & Laser Center is owned and operated by Dr. Saira Tariq Niaz, who is a board-certified family physician with offices in Lithonia and Lawrenceville Georgia. Hillandale Primary Care provides patient-focused, compassionate healthcare of the highest quality to each patient and delivers acute and chronic healthcare to patients of all ages. We are passionate about preventive medicine and encourage each of our patients to take an active role in maintaining overall health and wellbeing. Call today at 770.322-9660 or request an appointment.
