Heart attacks are the number one cause of death in Germany.A regular cardiovascular check contributes significantly to the early detection of the occurrence of changes or already existing diseases of the cardiovascular system and thus to be able to initiate meaningful therapeutic measures in time.
The cardiovascular check is composed of various laboratory and medical device diagnostic examinations.
The procedure
First, a detailed medical history (anamnesis) is taken. In addition to your age, this should also include information about whether cardiovascular diseases are known in your family, whether you suffer from diabetes and whether you are a smoker. In this way, valuable initial information can already be gathered with regard to any existing risk of cardiovascular disease.
Laboratory diagnostics
As part of the laboratory diagnostics, a blood sample is used to examine your blood lipids. These include:
- Total cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Elevated blood lipids are a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis, hardening of the arteries). If elevated blood lipid levels are detected during the examination, further tests can provide information about whether atherosclerosis already exists. The consequences of atherosclerosis are myocardial infarction (heart attack) and apoplexy (stroke).
Furthermore, measures such as a change in diet can be initiated to lower blood lipids (blood fats) in the future.Other laboratory diagnostic parameters used to determine the risk of atherosclerosis include:
- Homocysteine
- Fibrinogen
- Lipoprotein (a)
- Lipid electrophoresis
- CRP (C-reactive protein)
Medical Device Diagnostics
By means of blood pressure measurement (if necessary, 24-hour blood pressure measurement) and ECG stress test can largely detect existing heart disease.Furthermore, the following examinations – depending on the individual situation – are necessary:
- Echocardiography (ultrasound examination of the heart) – if necessary “stress echo” (stress echocardiography); the most common indication for a stress echo is the suspicion of circulatory disorders in coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Analysis of cardiac anatomy and function and myocardial perfusion myocardial perfusion) by cardio-MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
- Three-dimensional view of the coronary vessels (coronary arteries) using cardio-CT (multi-slice computed tomography).
Benefit
On the basis of the described examinations, changes that can lead to cardiovascular diseases and also already existing diseases can be reliably detected. Thus, it is possible to initiate targeted therapeutic measures to slow down or even prevent the progression of the disease.