How To Check For Heart Disease

Learn how to check for heart disease to see if it is something you should be concerned about. Heart disease affects millions of people. Heart disease affects both men and women alike. There has been an increase in heart disease in women, especially, over the years, showing that 37% of deaths in women each year is related to heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

There are certain risk factors that can increase your chance for heart disease. Some risk factors can be changed while others cannot. Risk factors that cannot be changed are age, sex, (men tend to develop heart disease more than women), race ( African-Americans have a greater chance of developing heart disease), and heredity. There are ways to check for heart disease and if you will have a greater chance of developing heart disease.

1. Transesophageal echocardiography A transesohageal echocardiography can help detect problems with the not only the structure of the heart and vessels, but the vessels. This test uses sound waves along with a transducer which is placed on the outside of the chest. 
2. TTE transducer  A TTE transducer sends sound waves into the body. It is placed on the chest, outside of the body. However, because it is used outside the body, the sound waves may not always have a clear path to the heart and blood vessels. Examples of a poor pathway would be with obesity or scarring from a previous heart surgery. A collapsed lung could also detract from a clear pathway. These problems can detract from getting accurate readings.
3. A CRP blood test, or C-Reactive Protein Test This bood test may help to detect inflammation caused my the laying down of arteriosclerotic, and cholesterol-containing plaques in the blood vessel of the heart. The CRP blood test can help to find inflammation among the blood vessels which can cause plaque to build as well as prevent free-flowing movement of the cells through the vessels. Markers of inflammation can indicate risks for heart attacks. Reports indicate that in the upper third of CRP blood levels have almost double the risk of a heart attack as compared to those in the lower one-third of blood levels. A high CRP is confirmed as above 3 milligrams per liter of blood.

Taking the time to check for heart disease is an important part of keeping your heart healthy. Talk to your doctor to see if he recommends one of these tests to see if you are at risk for heart disease.

References:

American Heart Association