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Heart Disease Screening

Submitted by Colleen Brown PA

In the past 30 years, mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) has significantly decreased, however, it remains the leading cause of death in adults. Physicians thrive to diagnose heart disease in asymptomatic patients in order to prevent outcomes such as Myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and sudden death. Screening is specially important in high risk patient. Some important risk factors for CHD include; male gender, tobacco use, high cholesterol, positive family history of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetics. There are different modalities to screen for CHD. Dr. Lajvardi will decide what is the best screening method based on your history and risk factors.

Here is short summary of different testing:

Exercise ECG Testing With Echo (Stress Echo)

Helps evaluate patients with known or suspected CHD. It can also provides significant prognostic information concerning patients with known CHD. Prior to treadmill testing, Patient will have a quick survey of the cardiac valves and structure to rule out Patients generally will began walking on.

Resting ECG

This test helps assess electrical activity of the heart and evaluating heart rhythm as well as checking for cardiac hypertrophy and signs of ischemia. This test is very limited, having a normal ECG does not rule out bad outcome, but it is a easy, non invasive screening tool. An abnormal ECG will help physicians plan for further work up.

Ambulatory Monitoring / Holter

Holter monitoring is a frequently used diagnostic test for silent ischemia and arrhythmia. The study monitors patients for 24 hours. It provides long-term ECG recording of ischemic and arrhythmia while patients are engaged in routine daily activities at home.

Nuclear And Echocardiographic Imaging Studies

These test are done in patients who need further work up or in those patients who are unable to ambulate or exercise.

Echocardiogram:

is a great test to evaluate the hearts structure including the valves, blood flow between each heart chamber, and the thickness of the cardiac walls. Also stress echocardiogram is used in women as a screen method for CHD since it is more accurate than Exercise ECG testing.

Sudden Cardiac Death

Sudden Cardiac Death or Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the sudden stopage of heart beating properly to pump blood throughout the body. In this country, 400,000 adults die from sudden Cardiac Arrest on an annual basis.

Some Of The Risk Factors Include

  • History of heart disease
  • History of irregular beats
  • Symptoms of irregular beats
  • Fainting, palpitations
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest discomfort
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Family history of sudden cardiac death
  • Abnormal ECG
Diabetes
Sleep Apnea
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