Happy healthy heart, Happy life
as discussed by Dr Sanjev consulting GP at the Madison Medical Practice St Ives
Being aware of our heart health has grabbed more Australians’ attention recently.
A Specialist GP with a keen interest in heart disease can be critical in navigating the myriad of tools available to screen for heart disease. Having an annual full check-up with a GP is imperative to check for early evidence of various diseases including heart disease. Your GP can then begin the process of co-ordinating a multidisciplinary team to help you achieve optimal health goals. This team may include Dietitians, Cardiologists, Exercise physiologists and/or Physiotherapists.
All Australians aged 45-49 who have Medicare are eligible to have Medicare funded health assessments. There is also a heart specific health assessment available for people with certain health conditions that are aged 40 – 49yo.
As you may be aware, the following are some things that can help us prevent heart disease:
– Healthy diet – including limiting intake of processed foods, sugar, saturated fats
– Quitting smoking
– Regular physical activity
– Weight loss
– Limiting alcohol intake
– Healthy lifestyle including managing stress
Due to our busy lifestyles, heart disease can still develop, and it is important that it is picked up early. Not all heart disease comes on as chest pain. Other early signs of heart disease can be worsening shortness of breath on exercise, tiredness or elevated blood pressure, just to name a few. Hence presenting to a GP with experience in this particular area is important as the heart is subtle.
People with certain heart conditions cannot exercise vigorously. For those not in that category, exercise can be a critical part of heart disease prevention. And that doesn’t mean simply taking a stroll to the shops. The idea is to get the heart rate up and work up a sweat. And the recommendations suggest 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week.
One thing you may have heard is you can get a “CT scan of the heart”. This either refers to a CT Coronary calcium score (Ca score) or CT coronary angiogram (CTCA). Simply put, the Ca score is a non-invasive CT scan that provides a measure of how much calcified plaque is in the heart. This can help work out the risk of heart disease and stroke.
A CTCA is a different modality that actually images the coronary arteries to identify potentially dangerous plaques. Both of these techniques have limitations and must only be used under appropriate circumstances, which your GP must guide you through.
In the media, there has been mention of the use of a specific blood test called the Lipoprotein(a) (abbreviated to Lp(a)). Measuring cholesterol via a blood test is an important part of identifying those that would benefit from early treatment to prevent heart disease. Lp(a) is a specific type of particle that can be measured in a blood test; however, it must be reserved for certain populations only, which your GP can advise you on.
For more information please go to The heart foundation website, https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-health-education/physical-activity-and-exercise
Book an appointment with Dr Sanjev to discuss your health concerns
All Consulting GPs & Allied Health Professionals operate their own medical businesses within the Madison Medical Practice