Heart Care - Advance

Heart-related complications, or cardiovascular diseases, contribute to 17.9 million deaths annually, as confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). These problems impact people of all ages, warranting an early cardiac health check-up.

Cardiovascular diseases present themselves in the form of problems like:

• Coronary artery disease
• Irregular heartbeats
• Heart valve disease
• Aortic disease
• Stroke
• Pericardial disease

Out of these, coronary artery disease is the most common, causing a plaque build-up in the patient's arteries. As a result, blood flow to the heart is interrupted, causing heart attacks and other problems like angina and heart failure.

The severity of coronary artery disease warrants a cardiac health check-up. Apollo 24/7 offers a comprehensive heart care – advance test, a cardiac test package that assesses the overall health of a patient's cardiac system to detect and diagnose heart ailments early. It consists of 43 tests to check for all possible reasons that could contribute to cardiac issues.

Some of the tests included in a cardiac health check-up are as follows.

• Glucose Fasting Test: High blood pressure is synonymous with artery damage, which might affect blood flow to the heart. The glucose fasting test checks for the patient's blood pressure to make an early diagnosis.
• Two-hour glucose post-prandial test: Immediately after eating a meal, the blood sugar levels in the body spike up due to starch and sugar. This test is done two hours after a meal to check if the response has stopped.
• Creatinine serum test: It tests for the amount of creatinine in the blood to assess kidney function. High creatine levels indicate abnormal filtering and may contribute to heart problems.
• Glycated haemoglobin (HBA1C) test: Using the HBA1C test, doctors can determine the average blood glucose levels of the patient over the past two to three months. These readings can help diagnose diabetes early and prevent it from causing cardiac ailments.
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) test:  The human body produces the C-reactive protein in response to inflammation. It can be detected using an HSCRP test to understand the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Apolipoprotein Test (A1 and B): This test is aimed at patients with a family history of cardiovascular disease. It measures apolipoproteins A1 and B, which are responsible for maintaining the structure of lipoproteins.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC): The standard CBC test measures blood components like haemoglobin, platelets and red blood cells to detect conditions like anaemia and assess cardiac health risks.
• Electrolytes Serum Test: It measures the levels of sodium, chloride, potassium and bicarbonate in the body. Abnormal levels may point towards severe problems like diabetes and contribute to heart issues.
• Lipid Profile Test: The lipid profile test measures blood cholesterol to gauge the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Based on the cardiac health check-up test results, doctors can devise an early treatment plan to better combat and manage relevant issues.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Amitava Ray, Family Physician, Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Kolkata.

Frequently asked questions

Can lack of sleep cause heart problems?

Lack of sleep raises the risk of heart diseases and strokes. Hence, an adequate 7-8 hours of sleep is always recommended to keep heart diseases at bay. Ensuring good quality sleep reduces the stress which the heart goes through otherwise.

How much triglycerides should be present in the body?

Ideal triglycerides that should be present in the body are less than 150. This is because triglycerides more than 150 can clog the arteries and cause irreversible atherosclerosis.

What is bradycardia?

Bradycardia is linked with slow heart rate in men and women whose heart rate is less than 80-100 beats per minute. The heart pumps blood to carry oxygen to all the cells in the body. Hence, if your heart rate is really slow, consult a cardiologist right away.

How does a cardiac blood test show heart health problems?

A cardiac blood test can help a healthcare provider acquire a measurement of cardiac biomarkers. These help diagnose issues closely related to irregular blood flow to the heart. Cardiac biomarkers can also help determine any risks of heart diseases in an individual or help maintain heart health for those already diagnosed with one.

Does my family history of heart health affect my own?

Heredity does play a vital role in one's chances of having heart problems. These issues can include high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and heart attacks. In fact, one also has a higher risk of inheriting rare heart conditions owing to genetics.

What can a cardiac blood test indicate about heart health?

When combined with one's medical and family history, a cardiac blood test can provide vital information about one's possibility of acquiring heart disease. A cardiac test can identify whether or not the heart has been damaged. Others alert one to any severe signs of a heart attack or whether one is at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

What are the various risk factors for heart diseases?

Some of the more common risk factors for heart diseases include diabetes, high blood pressure, genetics, age, cholesterol issues, and obesity. There may also be a variety of lifestyle reasons that could contribute to heart diseases.

What cardiac test can help determine heart diseases?

Haemoglobin test, cholesterol test, and CRP test are some basic cardiac blood tests that can help determine heart diseases. One can opt for these cardiac blood tests through the heart care basic package on Apollo 24/7�s website.

When should one opt for a cardiac blood test?

One should opt for a cardiac test as soon as they spot one of three significant symptoms of declining heart health. Namely, chest pain, breathlessness, and fainting.