Cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is defined as having too much cholesterol—a waxy, fatty substance—in the blood. Having either high LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) or low HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)—or both—is one of the best predictors of your risk of heart disease.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, chronic coughing or wheezing, swelling, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others.
Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure and chest discomfort (angina) Shortness of breath. Pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper belly area or back. Pain, numbness, weakness or coldness in the legs or arms if the blood vessels in those body areas are narrowed.
Often, your body sends signs that your heart needs care—symptoms you should not ignore. These include chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, loss of consciousness, and dizziness. If you have experienced any of these symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor.
You can check for heart disease at home by measuring your pulse rate and your blood pressure if you have a blood pressure monitor. You can also monitor yourself for symptoms of heart disease, such as: Chest pain, pressure, discomfort, or tightness. Being short of breath.
...a tired feeling all the time and difficulty with everyday activities, such as shopping, climbing stairs, carrying groceries or walking. The heart can't pump enough blood to meet the needs of body tissues.
Stage I is considered “pre-heart failure.” High-risk individuals include patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and coronary artery disease. A family history of alcohol abuse, rheumatic fever, cardiotoxic drug therapy, or cardiomyopathy can increase your risk.
If you wake up feeling not refreshed, you have daytime sleepiness or if you need to curtail your daytime activity because of lack of energy, these could be signs your heart failure isn't being managed as well as it could be, Dr. Freeman says.
Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
A coronary angiogram is a type of X-ray used to examine the coronary arteries supplying blood to your heart muscle. It's considered to be the best method of diagnosing coronary artery disease - conditions that affect the arteries surrounding the heart.
It's important to remember that one blood test alone doesn't determine the risk of heart disease. The most important risk factors for heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Here's a look at some of the blood tests used to diagnose and manage heart disease.
The most common types of blood tests used to assess heart conditions are: Cardiac enzyme tests (including troponin tests) – these help diagnose or exclude a heart attack. Full blood count (FBC) – this measures different types of blood levels and can show, for example, if there is an infection or if you have anaemia.
blood tests – to check whether there's anything in your blood that might indicate heart failure or another illness. an electrocardiogram (ECG) – this records the electrical activity of your heart to check for problems. an echocardiogram – a type of ultrasound scan where sound waves are used to examine your heart.
If you have plaque buildup in your blood vessels, you may feel pain in your calves when they need blood quickly. That pain is called claudication, and claudication is a symptom of peripheral artery disease, or PAD. Some people describe claudication as an ache; others say it's excruciating.
Many people who have coronary heart disease do not have any symptoms and therefore do not know they have problems with their heart. As a result, they do not take the proper medications that could help prevent a heart attack, stroke, or death.
You can have a heart attack and not even know it. A silent heart attack, known as a silent myocardial infarction (SMI), account for 45% of heart attacks and strike men more than women.
Optimal Vitamin K2 intake is crucial to avoid the calcium plaque buildup of atherosclerosis, thus keeping the risk and rate of calcification as low as possible.
Medications can help lower bad cholesterol and reduce plaque buildup in the arteries. Such drugs include statins, niacin, fibrates and bile acid sequestrants.
Rapid or Irregular Heartbeat The heart may speed up to compensate for its failing ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body. Patients may feel a fluttering in the heart (palpitations) or a heartbeat that seems irregular or out of rhythm. This often is described as a pounding or racing sensation in the chest.