Risk factors for heart disease

Risk factors for heart disease

It’s already risky, with just one factor!

• • Males over 45 years old
  • Females over 55 years old
  • Being overweight
  • Having diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Having a family history of heart disease or direct relatives with coronary artery disease
  • Smoking

How to know if you have a heart disease?

There are tools for diagnosing and predicting heart disease; these tools are as follows:

-Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram is used to diagnose and predict disease, as well as to detect the severity, treatment, and progress of heart and blood vessel diseases effectively. It can measure the size and assess the function of the heart and its different structures accurately.

-Exercise Stress Test

The exercise stress test involves having the patient exercise according to a prescribed program, focusing on detecting blockages or blood deficiencies that are essential for supplying the heart or detecting irregular heartbeats that occur during exercise. This test is useful for diagnosing diseases in patients with chest pain.

-CIMT

Carotid Intima Media Thickness (CIMT) is a measure of the thickness of the red blood vessel in the neck that causes stroke, heart attack, and ischemic heart disease.

-EKG

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is useful in diagnosing blocked coronary arteries, an enlarged heart, abnormal mineral levels in the blood, and other diseases.

-ABI

Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a diagnostic test that analyzes the ability of the peripheral arteries to harden, in order to check for diseases in the arm or leg arteries.

-Tilt Table Test

Tilt Table Test is a special diagnostic test used to evaluate patients with unexplained dizziness or fainting in order to find the correct treatment or solution, as these symptoms can be caused by various factors such as brain problems, heart problems, low blood pressure, or abnormalities in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. This is the most common cause of fainting.

-24 Hours Ambulatory ECG Recording

24 Hours Ambulatory ECG Recording is a portable device that records a person's heart electrical activity for 24 hours. The device is attached to the person's body and they can go about their daily activities while the recording is taking place. This method is suitable for patients who may experience occasional abnormal heart rhythms, dizziness, or fainting spells.

Best wishes from the Cardiac Center, Vibhavadi Hospital