Cases of heart attacks have seen an alarming rise in the last few years especially among young people. More often, such people have lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Such diseases further increase the risk of cardiac arrests and heart attacks.
Many people take the symptoms of diabetes and hypertension very lightly. Early detection plays a crucial role in preventing heart diseases and that can be possible with regular heart health screenings. This process is also called a comprehensive cardiovascular disease risk assessment.
Obesity and lifestyle diseases should never be overlooked
Obesity is one of the major reasons why many people suffer from lifestyle diseases like thyroid, diabetes, and hypertension. Obese people are at a high risk of getting heart attacks and when they are diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension they must get themselves checked thoroughly by the healthcare expert.
What does the screening involve?
The screening involves gathering information about the CVD risk factors. These include weight, BMI (body-mass index), height, total cholesterol level, history of diabetes, family history of premature CAD, smoking or drinking habits, and the overall lifestyle of the person.
The popular belief is that the screening and check-up should be done after the 40s or when your health starts giving you trouble. However, leading health professionals suggest that these check-ups should start as early as during the 20s even when you are not experiencing any health problems.
The American Heart Association has recommended that such screenings should be performed in the gap of two to four years even though you are not suffering from any health-altering symptoms.
The health experts will recommend multiple tests like exercise stress tests, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and certain blood tests. The results of these tests help to identify your risk level of getting a heart attack by testing your cholesterol levels, irregular heart rhythms, and high blood pressure.