
How do you take care of your heart after 40?
As you find yourself hitting 40, you may start thinking about health issues you previously didn’t concern yourself with. Should heart health be one of them?
Heart disease is America’s number one killer, but, unlike many diseases, there is no particular age to begin screening for heart or vascular disease. Your primary care doctor or cardiologist might refer you to a heart or vascular specialist if you have risk factors for cardiovascular disease or symptoms that indicate that it may already be present.
While our Ohio State doctors are your partners in heart health, you are your own best advocate. Learn the risk factors and how to recognize the symptoms of heart and vascular problems. If something doesn’t seem right to you, talk to your doctor and don’t hesitate to make an appointment with one of Ohio State’s heart and vascular physicians today.
Common symptoms of a heart attack include:
Women can experience additional and different heart attack symptoms, including:
If you think you could be experiencing a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Vascular disease affects the circulatory system outside of your heart. Vascular disease is often referred to as a silent threat, as the symptoms of vascular disease may be sudden or may not present themselves at all. If you have any of the risk factors below, talk with your physician to see if you are a candidate for a vascular screening test.
Are you more than 70 years of age?
Are you more than 50 years of age with a history of diabetes or smoking?
Are you under the age of 50 with a history of diabetes and other risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure or coronary artery disease?
Inherited or genetic risk factors you are born with can’t be changed. However, knowing your family history can help you assess your potential risk of heart or vascular disease. You can manage the risks through medical intervention and healthy lifestyle changes.
These factors increase your risk of developing heart disease:
Collecting your family’s heart history can help you determine a course of action that keeps you in good health.
You can also check out our free online assessment tool – Family Healthlink – which allows you to enter your family medical history and determine your risk for cancer and coronary heart disease.
There are many specialists involved in the care of your heart. Your primary care doctor may refer you to one of the following:
Tom Ryan, MD, Director of Ohio State’s Heart and Vascular Center, explains what heart disease is, what the common signs and symptoms are of heart disease and when to seek care with a physician.