Why Are Heart Check Ups Important?

According to the World Health Organisation, heart disease is the most common cause of death on a global scale. Around 17.9 million people die each year from cardiovascular diseases and most of these areas are a result of heart attacks.

Detect undiagnosed conditions

Healthy heart checkups can detect undiagnosed conditions that the patient may not be aware they’re suffering from. In many cases, heart problems don’t produce any symptoms, so there could be many people living with conditions that are essentially a ‘ticking time bomb’. Left undiagnosed, these conditions could result in heart attacks, strokes, or cardiac arrest.

Treat conditions early

With regular heart checkups, problems can be discovered early on so that they can be properly managed before any major issues occur. By diagnosing conditions early and providing the right treatment options, can produce the best outcomes for the health of the patient.

Avoid invasive treatments

When heart checkups are able to detect problems early on, this means that there may be more options to treat or manage the condition than if it was left too late. For instance, lifestyle changes, such as increasing exercise or quitting smoking, may only be required to reduce the risk of a condition getting worse. However, if checks aren’t carried out and conditions affecting the heart are more pronounced, the treatment options may be more invasive or may come with extra risks and complications.

Identify genetic conditions

Some heart conditions, such as cardiomyopathies or channelopathies, are inherited or passed down genetically. This means that they can affect anyone of any age. Some inherited heart conditions can be life-threatening, according to the British Heart Foundation. For this reason alone, having regular heart checks is especially important for those individuals who may have a family link to inherited heart conditions.

As well as benefiting the patient, receiving heart checkups can help doctors learn and understand more about specific heart conditions, which can then enable them to provide better treatments in the future.

Now that you understand the importance of getting a healthy heart check, you’ll be reassured to know that there is a range of heart tests available to examine the heart, such as an ECG or echocardiogram, which are quick, painless, and highly effective. Contact us today to find out more.