How Is Your Heart? Get Checked
How Is Your Heart? Get Checked.
There are many things to consider for your overall risk of heart disease.
These considerations include lifestyle, family history, and regular checkups.
Many people are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S.
People think that if they aren’t “old,” they are not at risk.
People think they are not at risk if they don’t have a family history.
People think they are not at risk because they drink red wine and eat dark chocolate.
Someone is at risk, but not you? Lots of people are at risk, but not you?
Yes, as we get older, the risk increases. But young people can have heart disease too.
Yes, family history increases one’s risk, but that isn’t always a given. Not that you will get it because of family history or that you won’t go because of no (known) family history.
Yes, drinking red wine and eating dark chocolate gets attention. And that alone won’t save anyone from getting heart disease.
So what to do? Get checked.
Be honest about your alcohol consumption.
I have previously written that heart disease isn’t one thing but a whole group of diseases.
And the simple start in getting checked is to have a physical. Then, talk to your primary care provider and be honest.
Share family history if you know – and if you don’t, share that too.
Be honest about your smoking habits – cigarettes, vaping, cannabis, anything—and history (past and current) use of drugs.
Be honest about your alcohol consumption.
Be honest about your exercise habits.
Be honest with your healthcare provider about your eating habits. For example, do you eat that many vegetables?
Nothing is more frustrating than a patient who isn’t forthcoming about things in their life.
I am not a medical doctor; however, I work with them. And I have one.
They will listen to your heart and can often hear when things aren’t quite right.
They will check your pulse.
They will take your blood pressure.
At least someone will check them when you come into the exam room – and the doctor should review that information.
Most parts of a checkup are pain free.
They will likely order bloodwork, including the lipid panel (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides), a glucose test, and hopefully a hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c). Glucose and HgbA1c are to test for diabetes and blood sugar levels. However, the leading cause of death in people with diabetes is heart disease.
There could be other tests too, but only sometimes. It could depend on your age and risk factors. These tests could include a cardiac stress test, an EKG, or a calcium test.
Most of these tests are painless – except for the blood draw. But it is a needle, so what do you expect?
Please do not wait or blow off your potential risk for heart disease. Most people don’t expect it will happen to them or someone they know.
However, just this past week, someone I know had quadruple bypass surgery at 56.
Someone I know who was highly active (exercised his heart daily) had two heart attacks within one week and did not survive the second one. He was also in his 50s.
Yes, both are men. And both in their 50s. However, in both cases, their disease progressed over several years. It didn’t happen over a few days, weeks, or even months.
Get checked and take your results seriously. Whether it is high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, high glucose levels, or any other outcome that needs addressing, please do something about it.
Do you have some results from your most recent physical that you want to improve? Are you ready to address your health and overall eating habits and patterns that can improve those results? Let’s talk about it. Schedule a free introductory call today.
