Screening for Heart Attack
Diet and Nutrition
- Are Three Squares a Day the Only Healthy Way?
- Avoiding Calorie Traps
- Changing Our Eating Habits
- Mindful Eating
- Putting the Pyramid Into Action
- Choosing Carbohydrates Wisely
- Choosing Less Calories, Salt and Alcohol
- Choosing the Right Fats & Carbohydrates
- Controlling Fats When Shopping and Cooking
- Controlling Portion Sizes
- Food and Nutrition
- High Blood Cholesterol - Cooking Healthy Meals
- Reading the Food Label
- The DASH Diet
- The Importance of Healthy Eating
- Weight Loss for the Long-term
- Weight Loss/Management Center
- Weight Management Center
- What To Eat When You Want To Lose Weight
Cardiac Procedures
- Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
- Angiogram, Coronary
- Angioplasty
- CABG
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Cardiac Stress Test
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
- Coronary Angiogram
- Coronary Angiography
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - CABG
- Doppler Ultrasound
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
- Electrophysiology Study
- Nuclear Stress Test
- Pacemaker Implant
- Venography
The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are usually administered to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.
You may be screened to find out if you have risk factors for
coronary artery disease
before you begin to have any symptoms. Screening involves assessing your medical history and lifestyle habits that may increase or decrease your risk of having a heart attack.
Blood pressure check
—A blood pressure reading measures the amount of pressure in your arteries when the heart is pumping (the upper number) and when your heart is resting between beats (the lower number). For example, normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. Consistent blood pressure readings of 140/90 or higher are considered
high blood pressure
. A blood pressure test is quick and painless. A blood pressure cuff will be placed around your arm. Air will be pumped into the cuff to tighten it around your arm and then released while a healthcare professional listens with a stethoscope.
Cholesterol
—Cholesterol levels are checked with a blood test. A blood sample will be taken from a vein in your arm. Cholesterol tests involve measuring total cholesterol, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides.
The chart below lists healthy and unhealthy ranges for each type of cholesterol.
| Total Cholesterol | |
|---|---|
| Desirable | Less than 200 mg/dL* (5.2 mmol/L) |
| Borderline high | 200-239 mg/dL (5.2-6.1 mmol/L) |
| High | 240 mg/dL (6.2 mmol/L) and above |
| Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) | |
| Optimal | Less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) |
| Near or above optimal | 100-129 mg/dL (2.6-3.3 mmol/L) |
| Borderline high | 130-159 mg/dL (3.4-4.0 mmol/L) |
| High | 160-189 mg/dL (4.1-4.8 mmol/L) |
| Very high | 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) and above |
| High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) | |
| Protective effect against heart disease | 60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) and above |
| Healthy range, but higher is better | 40-59 mg/dL (1.0-1.5 mmol/L) |
| Major risk factor for heart disease | Less than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) |
| Triglycerides | |
| Normal | Less that 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) |
| Borderline high | 150-199 mg/dL (1.7-2.2 mmol/L) |
| High | 200-499 mg/dL (2.3-5.6 mmol/L) |
| Very high | 500 mg/dL (5.7 mmol/L) and above |
Note: These categories apply to adults aged 20 and older.
*mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter of blood (mmol/L= millimoles per liter of blood)
*mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter of blood (mmol/L= millimoles per liter of blood)
The National Guidelines Clearinghouse recommends adults up to age 64 receive blood pressure and cholesterol tests at least every three to five years. Adults over age 65 should have the screenings every one to two years.
References
American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org . Accessed August 14, 2008.
National Guidelines Clearinghouse website. Available at: http://www.guideline.gov/ .
National Cholesterol Education Program. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/index.htm . Accessed January 23, 2007.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Michael J. Fucci, DO
- Review Date: 09/2012 -
- Update Date: 00/91/2012 -
