Heart health tests help detect various cardiovascular problems at an early stage. Detection allows for prompt treatment and prevents complications. It also provides reassurance that your heart is working properly.
Heart health tests are just as important as general health and wellness screenings. While the tests are available to anyone, they are especially important for people at increased risk for heart disease, including those with a family history of cardiovascular disease.
What Does the Heart Test Include?
How to test heart health? Doctors use multiple tests to assess your heart health. The simplest test is to measure your blood pressure. In this test, the doctor measures your blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer.
A reading above 130/80 mmHg means the heart is working too hard to pump blood. A value of less than 90/60 mmHg, on the other hand, indicates low blood pressure. In addition to blood pressure measurement, your doctor may also use the following examination methods:
Cholesterol Screening
The doctor measures your blood cholesterol level during cholesterol screening to determine your risk for a heart problem. The doctor takes a small blood sample from your arm during the screening. Then, the blood sample is used to measure the total cholesterol level in your blood. High cholesterol levels indicate a high risk for heart disease.
Routine Urinalysis
While urinalyses are not used to directly assess heart health, they provide valuable information. For example, high protein levels are a sign of kidney damage. Kidney disease increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack. Glucose in the urine can be a sign of diabetes, another risk factor for heart disease.
Complete Blood Count
To assess heart health, doctors typically use blood count tests. The test measures white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets to detect abnormalities. In addition to identifying abnormalities in the blood, the test can provide important information about your cardiovascular health. For example, a low hemoglobin level indicates possible anemia.
High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein
This test measures the availability of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The liver produces this protein when there is inflammation due to injury or untreated disease. Elevated HS-CRP levels can increase the risk of heart disease such as stroke.
What Will This Test Tell me About my Heart Health?
First and foremost, a heart health test provides important information about your overall heart health. For example, the tests may reveal risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol. In addition, a heart health test can help identify other risk factors, such as high:
- Homocysteine
- Lipoprotein
- Sensitivity C protein
- Blood sugar
Some heart health tests can also show the function of your heart. Other tests, such as echocardiograms, provide images of the heart. The doctor can detect abnormalities in the heart chambers, heart valves, and blood flow from these images.
How Long Will the Test Take to Show Results
Many heart health tests provide results within minutes to hours. For example, a blood test for heart health provides results within a few hours or days. The length of time depends on the particular testing facility or laboratory. Some facilities offer fast or same-day processing of blood test results, while others may take a few days.
How to Get This Test Asap at ARCpoint Labs of Martinez
When it comes to your health, there is no better partner than ARCpoint Labs of Martinez. Our franchised locations offer world-class clinical testing, including heart health testing. In addition, we test for drugs, steroids, alcohol, and performance-enhancing drugs.
Contact us to learn more about our heart health testing options. You can also schedule an appointment for your test. Our team will collect and send your samples to the lab for analysis.