Most people have never been to med school, so their ability to diagnose illnesses or health problems is limited. Yet, the average person knows that the health of their heart is all important. It only makes sense that doing what you can to monitor your cardiac health will help you avoid becoming part of a sobering statistic.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S., accounting for about 25% of all deaths across the country. But it can be managed or even avoided, and doing so starts with understanding what happens to the heart throughout the aging process and learning to assess your heart health.
[Read: How to Properly Take and Read Your Blood Pressure at Home.]
What to Know About Heart Health
The term “heart disease” can refer to a number of conditions, from heart failure and congenital heart defects to arrhythmias and heart attacks. While any of these can be deadly, coronary heart disease leads the way, killing more than 370,000 in the U.S. annually.
Also called coronary artery disease or ischemic heart disease, coronary heart disease describes a narrowing of the coronary arteries that can disrupt blood flow in and around the heart. This form of heart disease tends to develop later in life and is often related to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
Some people are at higher risk of developing heart disease. Genetics and family history of heart disease can increase your risk of coronary heart disease later in life. Additionally, lifestyle choices, such as inactivity, uncontrolled high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and inadequate sleep, can further increase your risk.
Understanding your risk factors, assessing your heart health and knowing how to lower potential heart disease risks may help you live a longer, healthier life.
[Read: Best Heart-Healthy Foods]
How Can I Check My Heart Health at Home?
If you want to stay healthy, it’s important to be aware of how your body normally feels and functions. Tracking biometric measurements, such as your blood pressure and lipid levels, as well as any symptoms, can help you understand whether your heart is healthy or if it’s time to visit a doctor.
Think about the following questions to begin assessing your heart health at home:
What are my genetic risk factors?
Look at your family history first, as this can provide valuable insight into your heart disease risk.
“I tell all my patients first to consider their first-degree relatives — their parents, their siblings — (and) whether anybody had a heart attack, a stroke or any form of heart disease,” says Dr. Dmitriy Nevelev, a cardiologist and co-director of preventive cardiology at Staten Island University Hospital, part of Northwell Health, in New York. It’s especially important to note if a man had any cardiac events under the age of 55 or a woman under age 65.
He explains that having a family history of heart disease puts you at a “distinct higher risk tier.”
Knowing this information can help you take proactive steps to protect your heart health and may indicate that it’s time to see a health care professional.
What’s your blood pressure?
Normal blood pressure is under 120/80 mm Hg — where the first number, or systolic, indicates the force of blood against your artery walls when the heart beats, and the second number, or diastolic, measures pressure on your artery walls at rest between beats.
“It’s important to monitor blood pressure, because hypertension is one of the most common causes of heart disease and stroke,” says Dr. Maria Karas, medical director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine.
The American Heart Association recommends at-home monitoring, in particular for those who:
— Have a high blood pressure diagnosis
— Have started or changed blood pressure treatment
— Need closer monitoring, such as those with heart risk factors
“In terms of monitoring at home, blood pressure is the easiest one to keep track of,” Nevelev says. “The lower the blood pressure, the better.”
Karas adds that if your blood pressure is high, take heart because “it’s easily treatable.” Many medications can help control blood pressure and improve long-term heart health.
[SEE: Best Blood Pressure Monitors]
What’s a normal resting heart rate for you?
Different from your blood pressure, your resting heart rate — also known as your pulse — is how many times your heart beats per minute. If you’re relaxed and sitting or lying down, a normal resting heart rate ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
With ever-advancing technology, wearable devices, like an Apple Watch or Fitbit, may track your heart rate throughout the day. Keep in mind, “it’s rarely diagnostic, meaning it rarely gives you a clear-cut diagnosis of what’s happening,” Nevelev says. “But, it can be very suggestive of having heart conditions.”
He adds that people with abnormalities detected on these devices should consult with their primary care doctor or cardiologist.
Has there been a change in the level of exertion you can tolerate recently?
Karas says if there’s a sudden change in the amount of exercise you can tolerate, it may signal that something is wrong with your heart.
“A change that happens rapidly is more worrisome. For example, if the patient was able to climb the stairs out of the subway, but suddenly can’t, that’s concerning,” she says. If that ability declines over the course of 10 years, it may be less concerning and more a sign of an expected decline in fitness associated with age. However, any sudden changes should be checked by a health care professional.
Do you have any symptoms of heart disease?
Symptoms that may signal an underlying problem with your heart include:
— Nausea
— Racing heart rate or feeling of fluttering in your chest
— Shortness of breath
— Fainting
Any development of chest discomfort — particularly with exertion such as climbing stairs, carrying heavy objects or even getting into high-emotion situations like an argument — could signal an underlying problem, Nevelev says.
Additionally, experiencing classic symptoms of heart attack may be signs of a medical emergency, including:
— Chest pain and pressure
— Shortness of breath
— Soreness or tingling in the left arm
— Upper back or jaw pain
— Dizziness
Be aware of any changes to your overall health and how you feel.
Heart Health Assessment at the Doctor
Whether you suspect an underlying heart problem based on your symptoms or you’re taking proactive measures to mitigate your risk, visiting your doctor for a heart health assessment can help you navigate next steps. Your doctor may do the following at your visit:
Primary care physician
Your doctor will evaluate risks, including family history. Staying on top of preventive care often includes regular blood tests that measure key indicators of heart health, such as:
— What’s your cholesterol level, and is it in the normal range? Cholesterol refers to fat in the blood, which, over time, can accumulate and harden into plaques in the arteries, a condition called arteriosclerosis. This condition leads to a narrowing of the arteries that increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and other problems.
— How are your blood sugar levels? Your primary care physician will likely check your blood sugar to assess your risk for prediabetes, diabetes or obesity. Managing abnormal blood sugar levels shortly after diagnosis is important for long-term heart health.
Your doctor may also conduct an initial screening test like an electrocardiogram, or EKG, to measure heart activity.
Your primary care physician is typically the “gateway,” Nevelev says. Initial screenings at a routine visit often flag an abnormality, prompting a referral to see a cardiologist.
Cardiologist
When you visit a cardiologist, Nevelev says they’re broadly assessing two things:
— What are someone’s risk factors for having a heart condition?
— What kind of symptoms or concerns are they having that could indicate that they already have this condition?
He adds that the combination of those assessments may lead to further testing, such as:
— Ultrasounds of the heart, which look at the function of the heart muscle to assess the heart valves
— Calcium scores of the heart’s arteries to see if there are any early signs of plaque development
— Stress tests, which determine how well the heart functions during physical activity or induced stress
— MRI or CT scan tests with contrast for more detailed imaging of the heart structure
When to See Your Doctor
If you experience any symptoms of heart disease, talk to your doctor right away, or in the case of a heart attack, visit your nearest emergency room immediately. Getting treated as soon as possible is very important when dealing with a heart issue or stroke.
Some people have no obvious symptoms of heart disease, and it’s possible to have a heart attack without even knowing it, a condition called silent heart attack. Evidence of the problem often only turns up well after the fact during a routine examination. By this time, you may have suffered irreversible damage to the heart muscle or other vascular structures. Therefore, keeping tabs on your heart health and seeing your healthcare provider for regular checkups is important.
“I encourage patients to make sure they have a primary care physician and are getting an annual check-up. The primary care doctor can help refer patients to a cardiologist if they notice any issues that need to be looked at,” Karas says. And you, the patient, are the frontline in understanding when something doesn’t seem right, she says. “Listen to your body. If you notice a change in how you feel, that should be checked out.”
How to Improve Your Heart Health
There are many ways to improve your overall health. The American Heart Association offers guidance called “Life’s Essential 8” to help you manage your heart health.
1. Manage your blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure in check is key for heart disease prevention. Some people can lower their blood pressure with lifestyle changes, whereas others require medication.
2. Control your cholesterol. High levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, increase your risk for heart disease, so keeping it in a healthy range is key for preventing heart problems.
3. Manage your blood sugar. High blood sugar can lead to devastating consequences throughout the body, including the heart and vascular system.
4. Improve your diet. Aim for a heart-healthy diet focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein while avoiding saturated fats, sugar, salt and fatty red meat. The diet is healthy and easy to customize to your goals.
5. Lose weight. Obesity is a major contributor to the development of heart disease. Carrying extra body weight strains the heart, which must pump blood to that extra flesh. Being overweight can lead some people to become less active, which only compounds the issue. If you’re carrying extra weight, dropping even just a few pounds can pay big dividends in heart health.
6. Stop smoking. Smoking elevates your risk of developing many health conditions, from cancer to diabetes and beyond, and it can be highly damaging to the heart.
7. Get a good night’s sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep every night — a “very underappreciated” measure of good heart health, Nevelev adds.
8. Get and stay active. Physical activity may do more for the health of your heart and your longevity than any other controllable measure. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity per week. You don’t have to go crazy — walking briskly for 30 minutes each day, five days a week, is enough to offer a heart benefit.
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How to Assess Your Heart Health originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/31/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
