Heart Disease Screening
Great strides continue to be made in understanding the complex development of heart disease. At Life Line Screening, we help detect risk for heart disease by identifying four significant risk factors:
Your risk assessment uses data from the internationally recognised Framingham Heart Study to estimate a 10-year risk for “hard” coronary heart disease outcomes (myocardial infarction and coronary death). It is designed to estimate risk in adults who do not have heart disease or diabetes.
This assessment is suitable for adults aged between 20 and 79.
You will have measurements to look at:
- Total cholesterol (TC) – A rough measure of all the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. It is calculated by adding LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides/5). A total cholesterol level below 5 mmol/L is desirable. A fasting total cholesterol will be calculated on-site from the Complete Lipid Panel test.
- HDL “good” cholesterol – HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. The liver removes the cholesterol from your body. The higher your HDL cholesterol level, the lower your chance of getting heart disease. An HDL level > 1 mmol/L for men and > 1.2 mmol/L for women is desirable. HDL is calculated on-site from the Complete Lipid Panel test
We will also need to know some lifestyle information, such as smoking history.
Your blood pressure will be measured:
- SBP (systolic blood pressure) – Calculated on-site at the time of the assessment.
- And we will need to know whether you are currently having any treatment for blood pressure.
PLUS:
Your assessment also includes a check for glucose levels to check for indicators of raised limits which may lead to preventable diabetes if left untreated.
At the end of the assessment, you will have a score that relates to your risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years.
This risk assessment is based on data from the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP ATP III Guidelines). The NCEP is part of The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The relationship between these risk factors and heart disease is derived from the Framingham Heart Study, the landmark study that has served as the foundation of many advances made in the prevention of heart disease throughout the world.
High cholesterol
Cholesterol levels have long been believed to contribute to the build up of plaque in artery walls—a condition known as atherosclerosis. Learn more about cholesterol screening.
Peripheral arterial disease
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is also known as hardening of the arteries. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is used to detect PAD. Find more information about the PAD risk factor for heart disease and what constitutes a PAD screening.
High glucose
High glucose is a symptom of type 2 diabetes. Learn more about our non-invasive glucose screening
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