Heart screenings can help you determine what lifestyle changes you may need to make to protect your heart. Your primary care doctor can provide standard testing.

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Health experts say preventative heart screenings are the best way to evaluate your heart heath and identify any potential risks early. FG Trade/Getty Images

According to Dr. Christopher Tanayan, sports cardiologist at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, screenings are the best way to evaluate your heart.

“Particularly for those who are [over] 35 years old and have a strong family history of heart disease,” he told Healthline.

However, heart screening may be different for different subgroups of the population.

“For instance, heart screening of competitive athletes may involve tests like an ECG and echo with a different set of criteria whereas someone who is generally healthy getting into their midlife years may just need bloodwork,” said Tanayan.

Not sure which screenings make the most sense for you? Experts break down the top seven.

Medical history

Your primary care doctor, internist, or general practitioner will gather a medical history, which includes your family history of medical conditions and your lifestyle practices, such as diet, exercise, and substance use.

“This is probably the most basic but most cost-effective screening tool we have because it’s cheap, easy to perform, non-invasive, and provides so much insight to clinicians on what’s the next best step,” said Tanayan.

For instance, if you smoke, Dr. Roger Blumenthal, spokesperson for the AHA and director of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, said your doctor will prioritize guidance on helping you quitTrusted Source.

“We try to use nicotine replacement therapy like patches or gum or medications like bupropion and varenicline. Also, behavior modification plays a key role,” he said.

Body weight and BMI

By measuring your waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), your doctor can gauge if you have overweight or obesity, which increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and more.

“BMI [is a] non-invasive measurement during an office visit,” said Tanayan. “Losing weight significantly impacts blood pressure control, sleep apnea, insulin resistance, and ability to exercise.”

Blood pressure reading

High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Because high blood pressure often doesn’t have any symptoms, many people don’t know they have it until they are monitored for it.

The American Heart Association (AHA) states that people whose blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, should get it checked at least once every two years, starting at age 20. Those who have blood pressure higher than that should talk with their doctor about having it checked more often. Your doctor can check your blood pressure, or you can check it at home.

Lifestyle changes and medication can help control blood pressure.

Fasting lipoprotein profile

This blood test measures total cholesterol, which includes LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol.

“Everybody should have their cholesterols checked at least once a year after a certain age. Normal LDL or bad cholesterol would be less than 100 and the same with triglycerides, which are the blood fats,” said Blumenthal.

Tanayan explained that the test is also important for detecting genetic abnormalities in cholesterol metabolism, and the results provide target threshold numbers for treatment. Lifestyle changes and medication are used to treat high cholesterol.

This test is taken every four to six years, starting at age 20 or more often for people at an increased risk for heart disease or stroke.

Blood glucose test

High blood sugar levels increase your risk of developing insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes, which can all lead to heart disease and stroke if they are not treated. Specifically, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves that control the functioning of your heartTrusted Source.

One way to screen for type 2 diabetes is to measure hemoglobin A1c levels (A1c %) in the blood. Diabetes is determined with an A1c level of 6.5% or higher.

Risk scores

Blumenthal reported that the AHA just released a new risk calculator called PREVENTTrusted Source that estimates the 10- and 30-year risk of total cardiovascular disease for people ages 30 years and older.

The calculator estimates the risk of heart attack, stroke, and, for the first time, heart failure. In the past, physicians would calculate the risk for heart attack and stroke only.

Congestive heart failure is many times more common than the risk of a heart attack or stroke,” said Blumenthal.

The AHA statesTrusted Source that the calculator was created based on health information from more than 6 million adults, including people from diverse racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds.

Coronary artery calcium scan

For some people who are at least 35 years old and have at least two risk factors for heart disease, their doctor might recommend a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test, which determines the amount of plaque in your heart arteries.

This involves a CT scan of the heart that takes images of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The test helps a doctor determine a person’s risk of heart disease.

“[It’s] really for people who are on the fence about whether or not to add a medication, generally for cholesterol but sometimes for blood pressure control,” said Blumenthal.

The test is appropriate for the following people, according to the AHATrusted Source.

  • Those who are hesitant to go on statin therapy and want to have a clearer understanding of their risk and potential benefit from medication.
  • People who stopped statin therapy due to side effects are considering taking them again.
  • Men ages 55 to 80 or women 60 to 80 who don’t have many risks and want to know if statin therapy will be beneficial.
  • People ages 40 to 55 with an estimated 10-year risk for developing heart disease between 5% and 7.5%, and risk factors that increase their chances of heart disease.

To keep your heart healthy, the AHA recommends the following eight health behaviors and factorsTrusted Source, which are the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.

According to Blumenthal, good cardiovascular health helps lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other major health problems.

  1. Eat better by adding whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, and seeds into your diet, as well as cooking with olive oil.
  2. Move more by getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
  3. Quit nicotine in all forms.
  4. Get more quality sleep, which can help improve your eating habits, mood, memory, internal organs, and more.
  5. Manage weight by eating better and exercising more.
  6. Maintain healthy cholesterol levels to lower your chance of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
  7. Manage blood sugar to keep from developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  8. Manage blood pressurewith lifestyle changes or medications prescribed by your doctor.

Your doctor may recommend certain heart screenings based on your age, family history, and current health status.

A heart screening can help you determine whether you need to make any lifestyle changes and potentially begin taking medication to manage your health.

There are many different types of heart screenings, so speaking with your primary care doctor about which ones are best for you is a good place to start.