A heart health check is one of the most effective ways to prevent heart disease, as it provides a snapshot of a person’s heart diagnostics and can detect early signs of trouble.
These heart checks form an integral part of both men’s health and women’s health care.
Keep reading to learn:
- What heart health checks are
- The importance of a heart health check
- Benefits of regular heart health checks
- Risk factors for heart disease
- Lifestyle changes for heart health
What are heart health checks?
Heart health checks usually take about 20 minutes and, in most cases, are a simple and effective way to measure the health of your heart.
Typically, we check your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and have a conversation with you about your lifestyle.
For example:
- Your diet
- Whether you smoke or drink alcohol, and how often
- Your medical and family history
- Your exercise and/or fitness routine
- Your general lifestyle
Using the data collected from the above steps, we’ll provide you with a risk assessment and, if needed, provide recommendations or a heart health plan and treatment.
The importance of heart health check
A leading cause of death in Australia is heart attack, with stroke also playing a huge role in these deadly figures.
According to the ABS 2017–18 National Health Survey, an estimated 1.2 million Australians (4.8%) aged 18 and over had 1 or more conditions related to heart, stroke or vascular disease.
Checking the health of your heart means you’ll know if you need to cut down on anything or, just as importantly, start doing anything new in your routine.
This could be a particular food group that you eat too much of, or even not enough of, for example.
On the other hand, a simple 20-minute heart health check might confirm you’re fit, healthy and there’s no need for a change in your routine.
Regardless, heart health checks play a massive part in reducing, identifying and confirming or denying serious health complications a person might have.
What are the benefits of regular heart health checks
Regular heart health checks can provide many benefits, including early detection and prevention of heart disease, improved quality of life, and even lower healthcare costs.
The reason that many people have regularly scheduled heart health checks is that lifestyles and our bodies change over time. It’s best to keep your heart health up to date, too.
By detecting heart disease early, our team can provide you with the necessary treatment and lifestyle recommendations to prevent the progression of the disease.
Ultimately, regular heart health checks can improve your overall quality of life.
What are the risk factors for heart disease?
Heart disease can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. However, there are certain risk factors that increase your chances of developing heart disease.
These risk factors include:
- Age
- Family history of heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity / sedentary lifestyle
- Diabetes
If you have any of these risk factors, it is important to schedule regular heart health checks to monitor the functioning of your heart.
Lifestyle changes for heart health
Along with regular heart health checks, there are a few lifestyle changes that you can make to improve your heart health.
These changes include:
- A healthy diet
- Regular physical activity
- Quitting smoking
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress
- Limiting alcohol intake
By making a few changes, you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease and improve your overall health.
No surprises: Your heart is the most important organ in your body and as such, taking care of it is crucial.
Other Heart Health FAQs
Ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is a condition where the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients become narrowed or blocked.
This can lead to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle and can cause chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, and in severe cases, a heart attack.
The most common cause of ischaemic heart disease is the buildup of cholesterol and other substances in the arteries that supply the heart, known as atherosclerosis.
This can lead to the formation of plaques that narrow or block the arteries, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle.
Other factors that increase the risk of developing ischaemic heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and a family history of heart disease.
Doctors can check heart health in several ways, including:
- Physical exam: The doctor listens to your heart and lungs, checks your blood pressure and heart rate, and looks for signs of swelling or fluid buildup.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): A test that records the electrical activity of the heart to detect any abnormal rhythms or damage to your heart muscle.
- Echocardiogram: An ultrasound test that uses sound waves to create images of the heart’s structure and function.
- Stress test: A test that monitors your heart’s response to exercise or medication to detect any changes in heart rate, rhythm, or blood pressure.
The need for the above varies from person to person and is usually done after or during a heart health check as we described above.
If you haven’t seen a GP in a while, please visit us and seek care services from our doctors. You can start with a general health check. To consult our doctors, book online for a heart health check or call us at (08) 8948 4333
