Cardiovascular screening evaluates people for heart disease and stroke, with guidelines for who should receive it and how extensive it should be. Blood tests and scans like EKG and echocardiogram may be used. Athletes should also be screened to catch those at risk of sudden cardiac death. Early diagnosis and treatment are important.
In medicine, when people are screened for the disease, they undergo several tests or examinations to rule out or rule out factors that may suggest its presence. Cardiovascular screening, which can vary in the intensity of the tests, evaluates people for different forms of heart disease and stroke. There are several guidelines for who should receive this type of screening and exactly how extensive the screening should be.
In many cases, cardiovascular screening is done on people starting in their 40s and 50s. When people are eligible for this test, from an insurance perspective, depends on what other risk factors they have, suggesting an elevated risk of heart disease. For those who appear relatively healthy, with no family history of heart disease, no disease like diabetes, and no markers like obesity or smoking, people are initially screened at age 50. This could all change if people have different risk factors for heart disease, and in routine physical exams, doctors are likely to assess current risk and determine whether cardiovascular screening is needed first.
The simplest type of screening is a blood test that evaluates different aspects of the blood. One of the most important measurements is the cholesterol level. Higher cholesterol could indicate the development of plaque in the arteries and this creates the risk of coronary artery damage and stroke. If cholesterol levels are high, doctors might work out a plan with patients to reduce levels using diet, medication, or a combination of the two.
Sometimes cardiovascular screening becomes more extensive and the need for more testing depends on several factors. If a patient is showing signs that they may already have some form of heart disease, doctors may want more concise pictures of what’s going on. In addition to blood tests, patients may have an electrocardiogram (EKG) to evaluate heart rhythm. Other scans, such as an echocardiogram or ultrasound of the heart, may be suggested. Exercise testing is another potential way to visualize the efficiency and capacity of the heart as it works harder.
While middle-aged and older people are often screened for cardiovascular disease, this group is not alone in benefiting from such an evaluation. Most medical groups strongly recommend that all athletes in middle school, high school, college and beyond also receive a cardiovascular screening. These screenings, when comprehensive, tend to involve ECG, echocardiogram, and blood tests. They are performed to catch athletes at risk of sudden cardiac death during exercise.
Screening is a means of getting the disease before many symptoms emerge. If people notice symptoms they think might be cardiovascular disease before they’re eligible for screenings, they still need to bring them to the attention of their doctors. Heart disease can occur much earlier, in a smaller group of people. Early diagnosis and treatment can be helpful in preventing further damage to the cardiovascular system.
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