Heart Screening

In an effort to detect heart disease at the earliest possible stage, Midwest Regional Medical Center offers many cardiovascular screenings at the hospital. These screenings are designed to arm patients with valuable information to make better, more informed decisions about their overall heart health.

Some of the cardiac screenings offered by Midwest Regional Medical Center include:

5-Point Cardiovascular Screening

This comprehensive cardiovascular screening will provide patients with an overview of the health of their cardiovascular system. Anyone above the age of 35 who has a family history of cardiovascular disease (i.e.; heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes), is a smoker, or who is overweight is a good candidate for this screening. The full screening includes BMI, ABI, blood pressure, cholesterol and EKG tests. The results for each test will provide the following information:

• BMI – Body Mass Index is determined by a patient’s height and weight. It provides an overall assessment of their physical condition by looking at the obesity of a patient based on the BMI scale. For example, as your BMI increases above the index of 25, so do your chances of health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and sudden death.
• ABI – Ankle Brachial Index is used to determine the possibility of a patient having peripheral artery disease (arterial blockages) in the legs which can be linked to a higher incidence of heart attack and stroke.
• Blood Pressure – Known as the silent killer, untreated high blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and a host of other health problems.
• Cholesterol – Another silent killer, high cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
• EKG – An electrocardiogram provides an overall assessment of a patient’s heart’s electrical activity and can help to identify problems related to the health of the heart when other diseases or conditions are present such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease.

CT Heart Scan

A CT Heart Scan is a simple, non-invasive test used for early detection of heart disease. With early detection and modifying your risk factors, the potential for advanced heart disease may be significantly reduced and in some cases reversed. The CT scan detects calcified plaque in the arteries of the heart. Calcified plaque is an indicator of heart disease. Soft plaque or non-calcified deposits are also predictors of heart disease. However, these cannot be detected by a CT Heart Scan or any other non-invasive test. So even if the CT Heart Scan determines that you do not have any calcified plaque, there is still a risk that you have soft plaque or non-calcified plaque. The heart scan may be appropriate for men 35 or older and women 40 or older with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, who smokes, has a family history of heart disease, is overweight, or has significant emotional or job-related stress.

For more information about Midwest Regional Medical Center and cardiac screenings available to you, please call 405-610-3627.