There is nothing more painful than losing a loved one to sudden death due to heart attack, cardiac arrest or stroke.
These cardiovascular diseases all find their root cause in coronary artery disease, which you could develop when your heart artery is blocked with fatty plaques.
Thankfully, seeing your cardiologist in Singapore for regular cardiac screening may lower your risk of developing coronary artery disease. A cardiac screen identifies your risk factors and prompts you to make lifestyle changes before your risk for developing cardiovascular diseases increases. Surely, the old adage “Prevention is better than cure,” makes perfect sense especially in view of preventing fatal heart ailments.
What are some of the cardiac screening tests that you may avail from your cardiologist in Singapore?
Blood Pressure Check
When was the last time you had your blood pressure checked? Blood pressure check is a simple procedure that many people tend to neglect. However, elevated blood pressure may lead to a fatal stroke or heart attack if left untreated.
From age 20, your cardiologist may recommend checking your blood pressure at least once every two years if it is below 120/80 mm Hg, and more often if is higher. Your cardiologist in Singapore may recommend lifestyle changes such as keeping to a healthy weight, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, lowering soda and alcohol intake as well as quitting cigarette smoking to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
Fasting Lipid Profile
Your cardiologist in Singapore may recommend a fasting lipid Profile, which is a blood test that measures your total good and bad cholesterol.
One thing to remember in terms of cholesterol is that there is only one type of cholesterol that is good – the HDL. The two other types of cholesterol – LDL and Lp(a) – are actually cousins and are the notorious ones. You do not want your LDL and Lp(a) cholesterol levels to rise as they could build up in the walls of your artery as fatty plaques; increasing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Changing your diet to include more foods that are rich in HDL will help improve your cholesterol profile. The HDL cholesterol will help to “clean up” your artery wall by scavenging LDL cholesterol. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy level of HDL and lower the levels of bad LDL in your body.
Blood Glucose Check
When you reach the age of 45, your cardiologist may recommend you do a fasting blood glucose check at least once every three years. Not only will this minimise the risk of you developing Type 2 diabetes, it will also lower the risk of heart disease or stroke which are complications arising from Type 2 diabetes.
Body Weight Check
Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. From age 20, it is recommended for you to see your family doctor to measure your body mass index (BMI) and keep your weight healthy. You will greatly benefit from eating healthy and exercising regularly.
Regular Health And Wellness Checks
Doing an annual health check is highly recommended for adults above 35 years old. With our current high stress and fast paced lifestyle, people tend to neglect their health. By doing an annual health check, it would give you an overview of your current health status and also help detect any underlying medical conditions you might have. Early detection and treatment of medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol will help minimise the risk of developing life threating diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
Contact The Harley Street Heart & Cancer Centre today to find out more on what screening tests are suitable for you based on your age, gender and family health history.
About the Contributor : Dr Michael MacDonald moved to Singapore with his family in 2015. They instantly fell in love with the country and are now permanent residents. In his free time, Dr MacDonald enjoys an active life, cycling and working out several times a week.
He also enjoys fishing with his son and has recently taken up golf. “I love to keep moving; exercise and healthy living are my passion. This is a huge part of my motivation in working as a cardiologist. I want people to attain their best level of fitness and health, so they can enjoy their lives!”
Contact Dr. Michael for a consultation today!
