Heart health starts with prevention: tests assess 10-year cardiovascular risk
Cardiologists assert that tests exist to evaluate the risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years, considering factors such as age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, and smoking habits.
"Indeed, risk factors are those that determine the occurrence and favor the development of cardiovascular diseases. There is a direct correlation between the number of risk factors we have, the duration of exposure to them and the severity of cardiovascular diseases," said Eugenia Dascalov, a cardiologist, on the "Zi de Zi" show on Radio Moldova.
The specialist emphasized that the entire medical world is concerned with prevention and finding more effective methods to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the European Society of Cardiology published a new prevention guide in which the risk elements are reinterpreted.
"Pathologies considered to be at cardiovascular risk, such as, for example, cancer, chronic lung diseases, mental and sleep disorders, chronic kidney diseases, along with major cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure or obesity, have created new models for assessing the level of risk," said Eugenia Dascalov.
The doctor stated that men have always been more vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases than women. According to her, up to the age of 60-65, for every woman with a myocardial infarction, there are three affected men. After this age, the ratio is reversed, and the risk among women increases.
Dascalov also noted that cardiovascular diseases are occurring more frequently at younger ages, with cases of patients aged 30-35 with myocardial infarction.
According to the cardiologist, there are recommended investigations for the prevention and early detection of heart disease. After the age of 40 for men and 50 for women, a visit to a cardiologist is recommended to assess the overall risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in individuals with a family history of vascular diseases at a young age.
"Risk assessment from anamnestic, clinical and laboratory data is the first step we take. Subsequently, personalized interventions based on risk factors are considered and then discussed with the patient, who is a partner in choosing an adapted formula. After the initial evolution of the risk, additional investigations can be performed to establish the presence or absence of heart disease - electrocardiogram, 24-48-hour monitoring, echocardiography, which visualizes the structure of the heart, valves, pump function, special non-invasive imaging tests, cardiac MRI", explained the cardiologist.
Eugenia Dascalov recommends that citizens prioritise their heart health by quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and adopting a diet suitable for their lifestyle.
