Preventive Cardiology Specialist

What is preventive cardiology?

Preventive cardiology is when you visit the cardiologist before problems arise, so that steps can be taken to keep you healthy and stop heart disease from developing. If problems are uncovered at a preventive visit, then it's early enough to start treatment to avoid disease progression or a serious event like a heart attack. Primary cardiology prevention focuses on screening for risk factors and symptoms, then creating a plan to treat any concerns.

What preventive cardiology services are available?

The first step in preventive care is a thorough risk assessment, which evaluates all the factors that determine your chance of developing heart disease. A risk assessment includes:

• Complete medical history including family history
• Thorough heart exam
• Lab tests for cholesterol, blood lipids, and blood glucose
• Evaluation for chronic disease
• Blood pressure reading
• Weight check
• Evaluation of lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, smoking)
• Biomarkers for cardiovascular disease such as systemic inflammation

The advantage of participating in preventive cardiac care at Cardiac Center of Texas is that state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities are available on-site if your physical exam or lab tests raise any red flags. The practice also offers heart screening packages that include advanced cardiovascular tests.

What does heart screening involve?

Cardiac Center of Texas offers three preventive cardiology packages. Their Comprehensive Heart Screening comprises six essential tests to evaluate your heart rhythm, circulation, and overall risk for cardiovascular disease, as well as checking for arterial blockages and measuring your blood glucose levels.

Tests in the comprehensive package include:

• Heart rhythm assessment
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Cardiovascular disease detection screening
• Calcium score
• Carotid intimal thickening
• Carotid artery doppler ultrasound

You receive a report in the mail with your results – typically within five business days.

The Elite Heart Screening package features these tests plus a cardiac exercise treadmill stress test and heart function assessment. The Elite Plus package also includes a lipid panel evaluation and a consultation with one of the cardiologists.

What happens after your preventive cardiology visit?

What happens after your preventive visit depends on the results of your exam and tests. You'll receive treatment for any problem that's diagnosed, and your provider works with you to develop an individualized risk reduction plan, which outlines actions you should take to lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.

A risk reduction plan includes guidelines for areas of concern. Some patients may need to lower their blood pressure or lose weight to reduce their chances of developing heart disease. Even if you're essentially healthy, there may be lifestyle factors to address. For example, your blood pressure may be just on the verge of being high, so a change in diet or losing weight may prevent hypertension from progressing.

Find out more about preventive cardiology or arrange a heart screening by calling Cardiac Center of Texas today or book an appointment online.