Screening for Heart Disease

Nobody expects to have a heart attack. However, many people are walking around unaware of the fact that they have certain health conditions and/or lifestyle habits putting them at increased risk for cardiac problems.

One important step you can take to help prevent a heart attack is to undergo a screening at Northwest Medical Center. While the conditions putting people at risk do not have symptoms, they can be identified and treated if they are discovered early.

Problems don’t occur overnight

Many people who suffer heart attacks have coronary artery disease (CAD), which takes years to develop. CAD occurs when fatty material called plaque builds in the arteries that deliver blood to the heart. If a blood clot occurs in one of these clogged arteries, blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle can be restricted, causing pain and fatigue; or completely stopped, causing the heart to fail.

Other conditions associated with heart attack include:

• Peripheral artery disease or PAD, which is similar to CAD and makes a person four times more likely to have a heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• Family history of heart attack

Ways to screen

Several methods are used to determine a person’s risk of a heart attack. Most are non-invasive and fairly quick, like the tests for blood pressure and PAD.

Screening for CAD can be done via stress test, in which the patient’s heart rate is measured while exercising on a treadmill; or simulating physical stress via medications, if the person is unable to exercise.

Computerized tomography, or CT scan, is especially useful in detecting CAD in younger patients, because the scan picks up calcium in arterial blockages, which is far less common in children or young adults than in the elderly.

Cutting-edge techniques

Northwest Medical Center Cardiac Services uses the latest technology to diagnose and treat heart conditions. This includes Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or PCI; and minimally-invasive cardiac catheterization, both of which can be performed here 24 hours a day.

Genetic testing has made tremendous strides in the decade since the human genome was decoded. Genes and gene mutations have been linked with a higher risk for diabetes and colon cancer, among other health issues.

While a genetic link to heart disease has yet to be found, scientists continue to gather new ammunition in the battle against it. For example, researchers say, young migraine suffers who are abused have a better chance of developing cardiovascular disease.

On the legislative front, new consumer protections recently announced by the White House will help ensure affordable care for heart disease and stroke patients, according to the American Heart Association. Insurers may no longer set insurance coverage caps; or cancel coverage when illness strikes.

If you have questions about heart disease risk factors, or need a physician referral, contact Consult-A-Nurse^® at 1-866-4-HCA-DOCS, or visit Northwest Medical Center online.