Do You Need a General or Cardiovascular Checkup?

Do You Need a General or Cardiovascular Checkup?

At Oasis Clinics, we adopt a functional medicine approach to your Cardiovascular health, viewing it as an intricate system supported by six key intertwined core systems. The Heart, Lungs, Arteries, Capillaries, Veins, Circulating Blood, and the Lymphatic System together serve as the 6th core system, yet one of the most important cornerstones among them. To gain preliminary insights into whether you might benefit from a cardiovascular check-up, we suggest beginning with the self-assessment questionnaire provided. Should you respond “yes” to one or more questions, it is advisable to pursue a “Basic Cardio” to determine whether you need a more comprehensive cardiovascular or general checkup. 

Questionnaire: Cardiovascular (Core System 6)

Click the link below to take the questionnaire and take proactive steps towards your well-being.
https://bit.ly/CardioVsGenForm

We will receive your answers after submitting, if you answer “yes” to one or more of these questions, take note of the questionnaire results and call Oasis Clinics at 0100 2665777 to schedule an appointment for a “Basic Cardio” checkup which will take 2 to 3 hours and will include:

• Basic Blood Tests
• ECG
• Carotid Duplex
• Cardiovascular Consultation
• A report of the Results and Further Recommendations

On the same day, a Professor/Consultant of Cardiovascular Medicine will review your questionnaire, examine you, analyse lab results and investigations, and advise you on how to lead a healthy lifestyle or, if necessary, what further cardiovascular investigations, other checkups, and/or management will be needed.

More on the Cardiovascular Check-up (Investigations):

(If your “Basic Cardio” check-up reveal any suspicion of a cardiovascular problem during your consultation, your doctor may request further detailed investigations.)

Usually, diagnosing a heart problem requires a combination of blood tests, heart monitoring, and imaging tests, all available at Oasis Clinics or affiliated centres. In addition to your self-assessment questionnaire, complete medical history, and physical exam, tests for coronary artery and heart diseases include some, but are not limited to the following:

1. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This test records the electrical activity of the heart shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias) and detects heart muscle damage.
2. Echocardiography / Doppler. Echocardiography, often referred to as an “echo,” is like an ultrasound for your heart. It uses sound waves to produce images of your heart in motion, displayed on a screen. This test allows doctors to see the heart beating and pumping blood, helping them evaluate the size, shape, and movement of the heart muscle and its parts, such as chambers and valves. The Doppler aspect of the test measures the speed and direction of blood flow through the heart’s chambers and valves. The combined information from these tests helps detect heart problems such as valve diseases, heart failure, and other disorders.
3. Vascular Doppler Ultrasound. Vascular Doppler Ultrasound is a special type of ultrasound that focuses on the blood vessels, including arteries and veins, outside of the heart. This non-invasive test uses sound waves to evaluate the flow of blood through your vessels. The Doppler effect captures and converts these sound waves into visual graphs or images, allowing doctors to see how blood moves through your vessels. It’s particularly useful for identifying blockages (obstructions) and narrowing (stenosis) in the blood vessels, which can lead to conditions like peripheral arterial disease. It can also help assess the risk of stroke, blood clots, and other circulatory problems.
4. Stress Test (also called Treadmill or Exercise ECG). This test is given while you walk on a treadmill to monitor the heart during exercise. Breathing and blood pressure rates are also monitored. A stress test may be used to detect coronary artery disease or to determine safe levels of exercise after a heart attack or heart surgery. Those with physical handicaps can have a stress test while resting using special medicines that can synthetically place stress on the heart. A specialised physician must give clearance that it is safe to perform any stress test.
5. Nuclear Scanning. Radioactive material is injected into a vein and then is observed using a camera as it is taken up by the heart muscle. This indicates the healthy and damaged areas of the heart.
6. Holter Monitor. This portable device is worn continuously for 24 to 48 hours or longer to record the heart’s electrical activity during daily activities. It helps identify irregular heart rhythms that may not appear during a standard ECG test.
7. Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM). This device is worn for 24 hours to measure blood pressure at regular intervals throughout the day and night. It provides a detailed picture of blood pressure changes over a typical day and night, helping to diagnose hypertension and assess its management.
8. CT Coronary Calcium Scoring. This test uses computed tomography (CT) to detect calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. A higher score indicates a higher risk of coronary artery disease and potential heart attack. It’s useful for assessing risk in individuals with no symptoms of heart disease.
9. Multi-slice CT Coronary Angiography. A non-invasive imaging test that uses advanced CT technology to obtain high-resolution, three-dimensional pictures of the moving heart and its blood vessels. It’s used to diagnose coronary artery disease by detecting blockages and narrowing in the coronary arteries.
10. Laboratory Testing. Involves analysing blood and other body fluids to evaluate a wide range of heart health indicators, including cholesterol levels, blood sugar, kidney function, and markers of inflammation. These tests help in assessing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and guiding treatment decisions.
11. Cardiac Catheterisation & Coronary Interventions. With this procedure, a catheter (thin flexible tube) is passed through the wrist or upper thigh arteries (under local anaesthesia) reaching the coronary arteries of the heart, and X-rays are taken after a contrast agent is injected into an artery. It is the most accurate and definite way to locate the narrowing or blockages, as well as other problems. It is done by an experienced & trained Interventional Cardiologist for those patients in whom other tests show a high chance of a serious cardiovascular problems. Treatment can be implemented by balloon catheters and stents at the same time if significant narrowing is delineated.

A Cardiovascular Professor or Consultant will decide which tests are suitable for you based on your questionnaire, medical history, and physical exam.

Until you schedule your comprehensive cardiovascular health assessment, you can begin to embrace both healing practices and preventive strategies to cultivate a life filled with vitality. Adopting these can prevent a wide range of complications including: Heart failure, heart attack, arrhythmia, cardiovascular atherosclerosis, high blood pressure/hypertension, stroke and other vascular disorders. Furthermore other systems within your body might benefit from the positive changes.

To take preventative measures yourself (under the guidance of your doctor) and/or address the root cause of disease, you will find these guides highly valuable:

• 11 Strategies to Live a Heart Healthy Lifestyle: This guide offers practical tips and lifestyle adjustments to bolster heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Heart Healthy Diet: 8 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease: Dive into specific dietary recommendations designed to support heart health and prevent heart disease, outlining eight key steps for a nutritious, heart-friendly diet.
• Cardiovascular Health as the 6th Core System: This guide provides essential background information on how the circulatory and lymphatic systems influence heart / cardiovascular health. It highlights the negative impact of modern dietary habits on these systems and offers actionable advice for optimising cardiovascular health through diet and lifestyle changes. Key topics include dietary strategies to support vascular and lymphatic health, the significance of blood pressure management, and the role of diet and exercise in promoting overall heart health.