Heart tests: What should you have? What can you skip?
Heart
Last summer, I had a whole round of heart tests, which basically said “it’s functioning normally”. Woohoo for me!
Ten years ago, if you just knew your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers you were considered heart savvy. But now, with tests for heart disease factors including C-reactive protein, coronary calcium scores and high-speed scans, heart health can be pretty confusing — and expensive. That leaves a lot of people wondering which tests are necessary for them and which ones are a waste of time and money.
The American Heart Association recommends anyone over the age of 20 start thinking about getting his or her blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides measured every year. Knowing your numbers early, cardiologists say, is key to preventing heart disease.
Watching these numbers over the years gives doctors the opportunity to treat patients sooner in life if their statistics fall into the danger zone.
If you are at low risk, meaning you don’t smoke, sport a healthy weight, have no heart disease in your family history and have no prior conditions, such as extremely high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, watching your numbers and having yearly checkups is the best way to go. But if you do have one of these factors, or have a relative, say a grandparent or parent who has or had heart disease, cardiologists say you may need more tests to make sure your heart is in good shape.
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