The most important lesson I have learned is be proactive with health. Don't wait for a heart attack to warn you. If I had waited, I might have had a fatal heart attack. Listen / feel the signals your body is sending.
Several doctors, nurses, and friends have commented that too few of us are proactive about heart conditions and health. Over 1.2m people in the U.S. experience a heart attack each year. Of the 1.2m, approximately 425k die as a result. Also, approximately 625k bypass surgeries are performed annually.
Should you get checked? YES, particularly if: 1) if you experience chest pain, strange arm pain or numbness; 2) heart issues are in your family; 3) you possess other risk factors: overweight, smoke, high cholesterol.
What are the various forms of a heart check up?
From simplest (and least invasive) to most complex
1. EKG - Electrocardiography - electrical activity of heart over time captured non-invasively.
2. EKG plus a stress test (walking on a treadmill).
3. Nuclear stress test - one is injected with a lightly radioactive substance plus an xray is taken before and after stress (walking on treadmill).
4. Cardiac Catheterization (CC) - a catheter is inserted into an artery in groin (old) or wrist (new). Mine was performed through wrist.
I imagine that a new technology will soon emerge utilizing something like a sonogram or MRI, plus software that digitally reproduces the hearts activity, i.e. a virtual heart and surrounding vessels on screen.
Should I skip straight to the CC? CC has its own risks. Seek the advise of good doctors, and trust their advice. But, we are in an era of significant technical advancement in healthcare. I strongly encourage a diverse and well rounded health education, particularly respective to one's genetic ancestry. My family has no prostate cancer history, but does have heart (artery) issues.
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