Cardiovascular prevention

Researchers from Harvard University looked at factors that might increase the chances of a longer life. [2] Using data collected from men and women from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study who were followed for up to 34 years, researchers identified five low-risk lifestyle factors:

• healthy diet
• regular exercise (at least 30 minutes daily of moderate to vigorous activity)
• healthy weight (as defined by a body mass index of 18.5-24.9)
• no smoking
• moderate alcohol intake (up to 1 drink daily for women, and up to 2 daily for men)

Compared with those who did not incorporate any of these lifestyle factors, those with all five factors lived up to 14 years longer.

In a follow-up study, the researchers found that those factors might contribute to not just a longer but also a healthier life. They saw that women at age 50 who practiced four or five of the healthy habits listed above lived about 34 more years free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, compared with 24 more disease-free years in women who practiced none of these healthy habits. Men practicing four or five healthy habits at age 50 lived about 31 years free of chronic disease, compared with 24 years among men who practiced none. Men who were current heavy smokers, and men and women with obesity, had the lowest disease-free life expectancy.

References:
Li Y, Pan A, Wang DD, Liu X, Dhana K, Franco OH, Kaptoge S, Di Angelantonio E, Stampfer M, Willett WC, Hu FB. Impact of healthy lifestyle factors on life expectancies in the US population. Circulation. 2018 Jul 24;138(4):345-55

Who is the preventive check recommended for?

Health-conscious people, athletes, people with a ‘positive family history’ (parents and/or siblings who have suffered from a heart attack or stroke), people with cardiac arrhythmia (e.g. atrial fibrillation), patients with risk factors (obesity, high blood lipids, smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise), patients with borderline elevated blood pressure values or already known blood pressure disease, people with sleep disorders.

What's included:

• ECG
• Blood Tests (cholesterol, LP(a), diabetes, thyroid, kidney and liver function), Urine Collection
• Echocardiography
• Vectorcardiography
• Carotid Doppler/Duplex
• Exercise Tolerance Test
• 24 h Ambulatory ECG Monitoring
• Sleep apnea syndrome
• CT Coronary Calcium Scoring

Breathlessness can be a symptom of heart failure. This package is recommended for you if you suffer from undue breathlessness. This diagnostic package will help determine if the course of breathlessness is related to a cardiac condition or to the respiratory system.

What's included:

• ECG
• Blood Tests (cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, kidney and liver function, proBNP, blood coagulation test)
• Echocardiography (including tissue doppler)
• 24 h Ambulatory ECG Monitoring
• Chest X-ray
• Spirometry + Pulseoximetry
• Sleep apnea syndrome

If you are suspected to have a high blood pressure or already have high blood pressure with inadequate control then this package can help make the diagnosis or help you better manage your condition.

What's included:

• ECG
• Blood Tests (cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, kidney and liver function)
• Echocardiography
• Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor
• Urine Collection
• Sleep apnea syndrome

Palpitations can be a symptom of a heart rhythm disorder. This package is recommended for you if you suffer from dizziness, inner restlessness or irregular heartbeats.

What's included:

• ECG
• Blood Tests (electrolyte, thyroid, kidney function)
• Echocardiography
• 24 h Ambulatory ECG Monitoring
• Exercise Tolerance Test
• Sleep apnea syndrome

Synkope or blackout can be a symptom of a heart rhythm disorder or structural heart disease. This package is recommended for you if you suffer from blackouts, lightheadedness or dizziness.

What's included:

• ECG
• Blood Tests (cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, kidney and liver function, blood coagulation test)
• Echocardiography
• 24 h Ambulatory ECG Monitoring
• Exercise Tolerance Test

Chest pain can be a symptom of a serious heart condition. This package is recommended for you if you suffer from chest pain, chest tightness or are worried about the prospect of underlying coronary heart disease.

What's included:

• ECG
• Blood Tests (cholesterol, LP(a), diabetes, thyroid, kidney and liver function)
• Echocardiography
• Vectorcardiography
• 24 h Ambulatory ECG Monitoring
• Exercise Tolerance Test
• CT Coronary Angiogram (contrast examination of the heart arteries)