Once you get past a certain age, your diet and lifestyle can start to take their toll on your heart and cardiovascular system, which is why so many people are looking for a heart check-up once they reach 50.
A heart health check can be performed in numerous ways, for example, from your health care practitioner, who might assist you regarding your risk of suffering from certain conditions.
Most significantly, a nurse or general practitioner (GP) can assist you in lowering this risk. A heart health check is a 20-minute appointment with your healthcare professional to analyze your risk of developing such conditions.
Another popular heart check method is via a cholesterol level blood check, which can be performed in a clinic or at home with a home testing kit.
Why Is Cholesterol Important?
Cholesterol is an important marker in the measurement of heart health as it indicates how hard your heart is having to work to pump blood around your body.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance made up of lipids, and an excess of cholesterol in your veins and heart can cause them to slow down and clog up.
Monitoring cholesterol is important in people who are older, overweight, sedentary, and generally people who are predisposed to heart conditions.
Why Would You Have Your Heart Examined?
Health tests for cardiovascular conditions will identify heart issues. Coronary heart illness is one of the most common root factors of myocardial infarction, the leading cause of death.
This illness occurs when the arteries that carry blood from the heart become shortened or hardened with a build of plaque that stems directly from blood cholesterol.
Some individuals may be unaware of their cardiovascular risk, which is why a home cholesterol test is perfect to quickly and accurately assess whether you have issues.
Furthermore, some risk health factors, including high cholesterol or hypertension, could indeed be silent.
Who Is in Need of a Heart Health Check?
It is suggested that you’ll be having the heart condition’s risk examined if you’re 45 years or older (or 30 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons). Consult a physician regarding having this done.
What To Do If Your Cholesterol Levels Are High
- Create a Plan
When necessary, your doctor would work with you in making a strategy for minimizing your heart problem risk factors and remaining on top of your heart health.
- Request for More Assistance
Your physician may suggest you to some other health expert for more assistance. It might involve visiting a dietician to assist you in making the proper dietary adjustments and other lifestyle support programs like walking teams.
- Various Testing to Determine Individual Risk Factors
Your healthcare professional will check your sugar, saturated fat, and blood pressure levels.
- Risk Assessment
Your general practitioner then uses the data collected to evaluate the chances of suffering a heart attack within the following five years.
- Take Medication
Individuals who are highly likely to have cardiovascular diseases in the next five years might have to take medicine and adjust their activity to lessen their risk.