Nearly 800,000 Americans die each year from heart disease.  This is nearly 30 percent of all deaths.  And it is estimated that a quarter of these deaths, around 200,000, could have been avoided with proper screening and treatment for preventable causes.
Physicians nowadays are aware of the risks associated with certain conditions and how critical it is to get them under control. Here are two conditions that should regularly get screened to keep a healthy heart.
High blood pressure.  High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can have many causes and many devastating effects on the body.  The high pressure of blood rushing through arteries (the blood vessels that carry blood to the various cells and organs) can be damaging.  Once arteries become damaged, they can rupture or become blocked.  When this happens, the part of the organ for which the blood was meant cannot function and will die quickly.  If it is the heart, a dangerous heart attack occurs.  Getting screened and treated for hypertension is extremely important for heart health.
High cholesterol.  The animal fats that we eat need high temperatures to stay in their liquid form.  This means that at our relatively low body temperature of 98.6 degrees, the fats can begin to congeal and stick to the arteries they are travelling through.  If this happens enough, arteries become blocked.  If an artery to the heart is blocked, a heart attack can again occur.  Cutting down on animal fats can help to prevent this from happening.
So call your doctor and arrange for a check up right away if you feel you’re affected by these conditions.  It will keep your heart healthy and your mind at ease.
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