It may feel like your health routine and medical visits are a lot to keep up with, especially if you have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular condition. It can be easy to forget to schedule other regular health check-ups, routine screenings, and dental visits. However, staying on top of your overall health through preventive measures is also a crucial part of managing your cardiovascular issues. Let’s take a look at some of the recommended preventive measures for patients with cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular Screenings
If you have one or more cardiovascular conditions, your healthcare provider will likely recommend a check-up annually at a minimum (or more frequent if necessary). The appointment will likely include a blood pressure test, checking the height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) along with measuring the waist circumference as an additional measure to determine cardiovascular risk. Your healthcare provider will also likely draw blood for lab tests including cholesterol and blood glucose. There is a greater risk of cardiovascular events in people with elevated levels, so blood glucose should be checked at least every three years.
Cancer Screenings
You should also talk with your healthcare provider to determine if routine cancer screenings for breast, cervical, colon, and lung cancer are appropriate as well. Don’t be concerned about the cost or hassle—many insurance plans provide some coverage for preventive care. Some patients may be able to have a non-invasive stool test for colon cancer performed from the privacy of their home! Another concern may be that cancer screenings do not prevent the condition, and you would rather not know if you have cancer. However, some tests can indeed detect precancerous growths or catch the cancer in early phases when it is more treatable, and there are less invasive treatment options available. It is important to discuss the pros and cons of each test with your healthcare provider to determine which tests and how often is appropriate.
General Preventive Healthcare
Finally, it is important to also keep up with other preventive measures for your overall health including dental check-ups and vaccines.
People with poor oral hygiene and gum disease seem to be at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and life-threatening cardiovascular events such as heart attacks. While it is unclear how direct the link between oral health and cardiovascular health is, you should brush and floss regularly along with scheduling routine visits to the dentist.
Vaccines are also a key aspect of the preventive care for cardiovascular patients as they are at increased risk of hospitalization and death if they become sick with diseases such as influenza, COVID19 and pneumonia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a routine vaccination schedule. Your healthcare provider will also be able to tell you if it’s time for a flu, COVID or pneumonia vaccine.
Consider scheduling an appointment with your medical provider today to discuss your preventive health, especially if you have a history of cardiovascular disease!
For more information, check out our related blog article on “The Diabetes & Heart Disease Connection.”