Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases take the first place among deaths all over the world. Therefore, it is very important to screen for risk factors such as genetic predisposition, smoking, high cholesterol levels, hypertension and diabetes in determining the risk of cardiovascular disease and to try to prevent these risk factors. In addition to the existing screening tests in the determination of atherosclerosis, vascular imaging gives important information about the condition of the heart vessels in terms of atherosclerosis, even if the person appears healthy or at low risk for cardiovascular disease. Heart attack with the Heart Attack Prevention and Elimination Program in the cardiology outpatient clinicPreventive and preventive treatment can be obtained with information about the risk and personalized approaches. Heart attack is not an easily predictable situation. It may not give forewarning and develops suddenly. It catches the patient unprepared and defenseless.

The vessels that feed the heart muscle are called coronary vessels. Coronary insufficiency is the formation of narrowing in the coronary vessels due to arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis-plaque) to a degree that causes a significant decrease in blood flow. For the complaint to occur, there must usually be at least 70% or more stenosis in the vessel. For example, let’s assume that the person has 30-40% stenosis in the heart vessel (coronary vessel). Plaque with 30-40% stenosis does not cause any complaints. Here it can be overlooked as it does not cause complaints . But the plaque, which makes 30-40% stenosis, can cause a sudden inflammation and a sudden clot formation in the vessel, causing a sudden heart attack and sudden death.In studies conducted with people who had a heart attack, it was seen that the majority of heart attacks are caused by hardening of the arteries (plaque) that creates stenosis of 50% or less. Strictures of 60-70% and above usually cause angina (pressure in the chest, burning sensation when walking on the road during exertion, chest pain hitting the left arm and jaw), shortness of breath, and pain in the form of pressure in the stomach area after meals. As a result, vascular occlusions below 60-70% usually do not cause any complaints during exertion and in daily life. In fact, these vascular occlusions below 60-70% can be undetected and overlooked by simple heart check-ups today. But vascular occlusions below 60-70% can cause sudden heart attacks as I mentioned.THAT’S WHY MOST HEART ATTACKS APPEAR SUMMARY. In 50 percent of people with cardiovascular disease, the first admission to the hospital is with a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the risk factors of the patient with a good cardiology examination, to monitor the arteriosclerosis, to correct them and to inform the patient.

WHO SPECIALLY NEED TO HAVE A CARDIOLOGY CHECK-UP?

Smokers, especially those who have coronary heart disease before the age of 55 in the first degree male relatives in the family and before the age of 65 in the female relatives, diabetes patients, patients with hypertension, patients with high cholesterol, people with intense stress, obese people, inmobile inactive people I recommend those who live, those who do irregular sports, and those who do heavy sports regularly to apply to our cardiology outpatient clinic and have a cardiac screening test done.

Do I have cardiovascular disease as a result? How young is my heart? How high am I at risk of having a heart attack? Do I have structural heart disease? Do I have arrhythmia (hidden rhythm disorder)? Do you have an aortic aneurysm? If you want to learn these, I recommend you to have a cardiac check-up (advanced cardiac screening test) in the cardiology outpatient clinic . The advanced cardiac screening test includes the following examinations.

cardiology examination

Electrocardiography (ECG)

Color Doppler Transthoracic Echocardiography (ECHO)

Stress ECG:

Rhythm Holter.

Carotid Doppler USG (The presence of intima media thickening or plaque in the carotid arteries is one of the indicators of the onset of atherosclerosis. If atherosclerosis is detected in the neck arteries, it is likely that there is atherosclerosis in the heart vessels with a much smaller diameter. Prevents fatal events such as stroke and heart attack with early diagnosis, preventive treatment approaches.

Blood tests (Cholesterol, Lipoprotein, Homocysteine, blood sugar, Kidney tests, Blood count, thyroid tests, liver tests, inflammation tests)

Multislice computed tomography (it is the examination of the level of calcification of the coronary vessels by computed tomography in patients who need to be done.)

Stress ECG may not always give accurate results for the detection of occult cardiovascular disease. Occult cardiovascular disease may not be detected by only looking at the result of the stress test. In order for the effort test to be out of order, there should usually be at least 60-70% stenosis in the heart vessel. In other words, it can often be misleading to evaluate the patient by looking at the results of the exertion test and to say that he does not have cardiovascular disease. Therefore, when evaluating the patient, imaging studies, multislice computed tomography and/or coronary angiography should be performed in order to determine all risk factors of the patient, to determine the risk of having a heart attack, and to diagnose coronary artery stiffness in high-risk individuals, if necessary..

Fatal events such as stroke and heart attack can be prevented by preventive treatment approaches in patients diagnosed with atherosclerosis as a result of the examinations.

Specialist Dr. Özkan Köse ​ Cardiology Specialist

Private İstanbul Şafak Hospital