Screening for Cardiac Heart Disease
cardiac heart disease
Screening for cardiac heart disease is very important, especially if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Why is it so important? Because high levels of blood sugar can damage the arteries. Diseased arteries, in turn, can obstruct the flow of blood to vital organs, especially the heart and the brain, both of which you want to protect at all cost.
Unfortunately, the first sign that anything is wrong can be sudden death or a devastating stroke. To determine your risk factors you can do the following:
What is your blood sugar level?
It is particularly important to check for high levels of blood sugar (glucose) as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. At the present time, the diagnosis of diabetes may be based on any of the following findings:
1. A fasting glucose level of 126 mg/dl or greater
2. A non-fasting glucose of 200 mg/dl or greater when symptoms of diabetes such as increased urine output, thirst, and unexplained weight loss are present.
3. A glucose level of 200 mg/dl or more two hours after drinking the glucose solution during a glucose tolerance test.
In order to confirm the diagnosis, a second abnormal result should be obtained on a different day.
How often should you have it done?
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends having a fasting glucose test done every 3 years to screen for type 2 diabetes if you are over 45 years of age. It is recommended to do it more often if you have one or more risk factors for type 2 diabetes such as:
1. A history of type 2 diabetes in a brother, sister, or parent
2. Excessive weight
3. Lack of physical activity
4. Race/ethnicity-specifically Native American, Latino, African-American, Asian-American, and Pacific Islanders
5. High blood pressure
6. Low HDL cholesterol
7. High triglyceride levels
8. History of diabetes during pregnancy
Normal cholesterol levels
To learn if you have normal cholesterol levels, you need a complete assessment of your cholesterol levels. Your doctor can obtain a lipid profile, which includes not only total cholesterol but also LDL cholesterol levels, HDL cholesterol levels as well as triglyceride levels. 
How often should you test for cholesterol?
This test should be done every five years beginning at age 25. Some experts do not recommend routine screening of adults older than 75, although this decision is affected by a person’s health history and other risk factors for cardiac heart disease. If your lipid profile represents a risk to your future health, or if you are being treated for abnormal lipids, you will need to be checked more often.
What is your blood pressure?
Blood pressure can be checked at your doctor’s office, at the pharmacy, or with a device at home.
How often should you have this done?
Regardless of your age, your blood pressure should be monitored every time you visit your doctor. Even if you rarely need to pay a visit to your physician, you should have your blood pressure checked every 2 or 3 years. Nowadays, many dentists check their patients’ blood pressure, and you can also have it done at senior centers and health fairs.
If your pressure is borderline – 120-139/80-89, now called pre-hypertension or elevated, 140/90 and over, you should have it checked by a physician.
Brain functions
Homocysteine
Homocysteine is formed by the body in the process of producing an amino acid called methionine, which is essential in the production of protein. Recent studies suggest that people with high levels of homocysteine in the blood have higher risks of artery disease. When homocysteine is present in high levels, it can injure the walls of blood vessels, provoke inflammation, and enhance the formation of blood clots.
Testing for homocysteine levels
Homocysteine levels are determined by a blood test. While the American Heart Association does not recommend screening everybody for homocysteine, your doctor may recommend this test if you are at high risk for heart disease, or if you have experienced a heart attack or stroke before the age of sixty.
If your homocysteine levels are high, your doctor may recommend that you take folic acid, a supplement that lowers homocysteine levels. Vitamins B12 and B6 are also helpful in lowering homocysteine levels.
Remember that leafy green vegetables, fruits and legumes contain folic acid and B6, so here is another good reason to eat your fruits and vegetables.
C-reactive protein test
C-reactive protein (CRP), manufactured in the liver and released into the blood, has been for many years a marker for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Many researchers now believe that chronic inflammation within the walls of arteries also plays an important role in the process that leads to heart attacks and strokes even if cholesterol levels are normal.
A C-reactive protein test for heart disease is called a high sensitivity CRP, which is different from the standard CRP test used to detect other diseases. This distinction is important, because variations in CRP that predict your risk for a heart attack or stroke occur at relatively low levels, low enough to be considered normal on the standard C-reactive protein test.
Final Thoughts
Prevention is essential for good health. Fortunately, nowadays we have very sophisticated tests available to us that can ring a bell for upcoming problems. Screening for cardiac heart disease in advance, it can protect you from a lot of grief in the future. Don’t be shy in using science for your health benefit!
To Your Health!
Tomorrow will review “heart stress tests”
Emilia Klapp, RD,BS
www.TheDiabetesClub.com
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