Shanna Looney, vascular technologist at Western Baptist, performs a carotid artery screening

About half of all deaths from heart disease are sudden and unexpected, so prevention is key. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of screenings early and often.

Hardening of the arteries often begins in childhood, but it may be decades before signs of the disease show up. While all the causes of heart disease aren’t fully understood, many studies have identified major risk factors and strategies to reduce the risk. These are the risk factors we can modify, treat or control:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Physical inactivity
• Obesity and being overweight
• Diabetes

Annie McGregor, R.N., cardiology coordinator at Western Baptist, performs an EK G rhythm strip screening.

Health screenings are an excellent way to evaluate your risk factors for heart disease while you can make lifestyle changes to reduce them. Screenings give physicians your baseline readings on blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as height, weight and body fat.

By checking them on a regular basis, you can note subtle—or sometimes dramatic— changes that may indicate a more serious health problem.

By focusing on prevention, you can have a major impact on your health. Prevention costs less than medical interventions and can save lives.

How can I learn more?
To learn more about the risk factors, symptoms and treatment for heart Why Are Health Screenings So Important? disease, visit westernbaptist.com/heart. You can take a free, five-minute online heart risk survey and become eligible for reduced-cost cardiac screenings at Baptist Prime Care. You also may phone Baptist Health Line at (270) 575-2918.

Do you have a cardiac question tugging at your heart? Email it to heartbeat@bhsi.com or mail it to HeartBeat, 2501 Kentucky Ave., Paducah, KY 42003. If we use it in a future HeartBeat column, you will win a Baptist Heart Center T-shirt.