Heart Health: 3 Lifesaving Early Detection Tests

Available for Interviews: Dr. Eldred Taylor

Dr. Eldred Taylor is a leader in the hormone industry and is passionate about helping women while using a holistic functional medicine approach.

What Dr. Taylor can say in an interview on
Heart Health:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. About one in every four Americans dies of heart disease each year. More than half of the deaths are in men. Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease.

It is the leading cause of death for people of most racial groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Whites. For Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders and American Indians or Alaska Natives, heart disease is second only to cancer. Death rates due to heart disease are highest in the South and lowest in the West.

Heart disease warning symptoms
may include:

      • Chest pain or discomfort
      • Upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach
      • Shortness of breath
      • Nausea
      • Symptoms of stomach upset
      • Lightheadedness
      • Cold sweats

Unfortunately, 50% of coronary deaths had no previous symptoms and another 50% of heart attacks were considered low-risk patients.

Male heart attack symptoms differ from female heart attack symptoms. The signs of a heart attack are less obvious in women. They are more likely to experience nausea, indigestion, and shoulder aches rather than hallmark chest pain. Their symptoms are likely to lead to the misdiagnosis of either indigestion or muscular-skeletal strain.

Heart Disease Risk Factors

A family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, aging, chronic infections, smoking, high LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated homocysteine, high C-Reactive protein and lipoprotein(a) levels, low vitamin D levels and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. Medical conditions and lifestyle habits can increase your risk of heart disease. They include chronic stress, diabetes, obesity, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, high carb and saturated fat diet, low fiber intake, a sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol use.

Early Detection is key!

It is important to identify those who are at risk for heart disease by regular cardiac screening. The identification of patients at risk for heart attack and stroke is vital if we are to prevent cardiac disease. Cardiovascular imaging and screening tests can aide our ability to detect the presence of atherosclerotic vascular disease. 3 tests include:

    1. Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Test (CIMT): A new, noninvasive ultrasound test that is recommended by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology to screen for heart disease in healthy individuals greater than age forty-five and those at risk for heart disease. Sound waves can be used to detect hard and soft plaques and thickness in the carotid arteries and walls. This test is a predictor of future cardiovascular conditions, such as heart attacks, cardiac death, and stroke.
    2. EndoPat and Digital Pulse Analysis: EndoPAT is a safe, painless, non-invasive diagnostic device to access large and small arteries. It measures the endothelium (blood vessel lining) associated changes in vascular tone, pressure, and blood volume caused by a five-minute occlusion of the brachial artery using a blood pressure cuff and a finger probe. It is the only FDA cleared non-invasive test to evaluate endothelial function. Endothelial dysfunction is the earliest detectable stage of cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
    3. The Digital Pulse Analyzer: The DPA is an FDA approved, quick, non-invasive, painless test which accurately measures the elasticity of small and large arteries in about five minutes. It uses an infrared finger probe to measure the light-absorbing characteristics of hemoglobin (arterial blood) to identify abnormalities in the pulsatile wave characteristics of blood, which can occur due to aging and in those at risk for vascular disease. The DPA evaluates changes in arterial (artery) pressure, velocity and blood flow.

 

Interview: Dr. Eldred Taylor

Dr. Eldred Taylor, MD, is an expert in functional and anti-aging medicine and is President of the American Functional Medicine Association, a nonprofit which educates healthcare providers and the public on functional (wellness) medicine. He is the co-author of Are Your Hormones Making You Sick? and The Stress Connection. Dr. Taylor is also a sought-after radio and television personality who has been featured in local and national publications. 

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