Welcome to the final part of “7 Steps to a Healthier Heart” series! Over the seven weeks, we have dove into simple, science-backed changes you can make to protect your most vital organ; your heart. Heart disease remains the #1 cause of death globally, but the good news is, many of the risk factors are within your control. Tune in to our blog next week, for our final blog post in this series.
Sarah Bush Lincoln Cardiologist B. Lakshmi, MD, explains how to prevent a heart attack, highlights the best noninvasive screenings to assess heart risk, and emphasizes the importance of family history in heart disease.
Most Importantly: Getting Screened
One of the most effective ways to assess your risk for heart disease is by getting a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan, often simply called a “calcium score” test. This is a non-invasive CT (cat scan) of the heart that detects calcium deposits in your coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to your heart muscle.
At Sarah Bush Lincoln SBL, you can get this test at a farley low cost, which makes it an accessible and affordable way to check for hidden heart disease, especially if you’re over 40 or have risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, or a family history of heart disease.
What If Your Score Is Elevated?
If your calcium score is elevated, it means you’re more likely to develop heart issues, even if you feel fine the day of the test. Having an increased score doesn’t mean something bad will definitely happen, but it does mean your provider should be more proactive and start to encourage preventative measures. In these cases, doctors often aggressively treat LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) to slow or stop plaque buildup.
The Sarah Bush Lincoln Heart-2-Heart Program
The Heart-2-Heart program at SBL offers another valuable layer of screening. It includes a blood test to check for lipids (cholesterol levels) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the blood vessels. This, combined with your calcium score, gives a much clearer picture of your cardiovascular risk and what steps you should take next.
Final Thoughts
By making lifestyle changes and staying proactive about screenings, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attacks long term. Please note the information in this blog is not a subsite for medical care. You should always consult your doctor for more details.
Like this blog, check out our SBL Heart Podcast at: https://www.sarahbush.org/podcasts/
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