February is American Heart Month, and it’s a great opportunity to evaluate your risk factors for heart disease and treat any heart-related conditions.
At Associates in Family Medicine, Dr. Mahshid M. Hamidi and our staff take our patients’ cardiovascular health very seriously, and we evaluate every person on an individual basis. Through routine wellness checks or follow-up visits, we may identify factors that indicate a cardiac evaluation is warranted. Here’s when that becomes necessary and what it entails.
Cardiovascular disease is any problem that affects the circulatory system — the heart, its components, and the arteries and veins that move blood throughout the body.
Such problems may include high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries due to plaque buildup), peripheral artery disease, damage to the heart’s valves, and congestive heart failure. If these conditions aren’t treated, they can lead to serious consequences, such as heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both the United States and around the world, making cardiac exams an important part of your wellness plan.
There are many indications that you should have a cardiac exam.
Chest pain is a major sign of a heart problem. While you can have non-heart-related chest pain, if you experience pain and pressure that occurs or worsens with activity, it may be a sign that the heart isn’t getting enough blood.
Blood pressure is the force the blood exerts against the artery walls. Blood pressure that remains elevated makes the heart have to work harder to circulate blood, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Dr. Hamidi checks your blood pressure every time you come into the office, as well as during your annual wellness exam. She lets you know if she feels your numbers are too high.
These symptoms may indicate an abnormal heart rhythm or coronary artery disease, a blockage in the arteries leading to the heart.
There’s a strong correlation between cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Consistently high blood sugar affects blood vessel function and greatly increases your risk for developing coronary artery disease.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver and necessary for things like building cell membranes. However, too much cholesterol leads to plaque buildup in the arteries, narrowing them.
Dr. Hamidi checks your cholesterol levels, including LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and HDL (“good” cholesterol) during routine blood work at your annual wellness exam.
If your kidneys don’t work properly, your risk for heart disease increases, as it’s associated with both high blood pressure and arterial disease.
Certain types of heart disease have a genetic component. If you have a close relative who’s had early-onset heart disease (under age 55 in men and 65 in women), you’re at an increased risk of developing it yourself.
Every patient we see at Associates in Family Medicine has a different level of cardiovascular health, and we tailor our approach to each individual’s needs. The results of routine blood work or high blood pressure numbers may lead us to recommend a cardiac exam.
Some patients simply need advice about how to make lifestyle changes to achieve cardiovascular health. Others need medication to manage their condition, such as lowering their blood pressure or reducing their cholesterol levels. Still others need surgery to correct existing problems. If we feel you need surgery, we refer you to a cardiologist for treatment.
Our comprehensive cardiac evaluation and risk factor assessment includes a cardiac exam with EKG (an electrocardiogram), an advanced cardiac blood panel to identify specific risk factors not shown on a routine blood test, and the identification of personal factors that may increase your risk for heart disease.
If you’re having any concerning symptoms that might indicate a heart-related problem, or to learn more about your particular risk factors for heart disease, Associates in Family Medicine can help. Give us a call at our Clairemont San Diego, California, office at 858-565-6394, or send us a message online. We also accept telehealth appointments.
