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Taking care of your heart is one of the most important things you can do to safeguard your health. Your clinician is your partner in monitoring your heart health. See your regular provider for prevention tips, monitoring and treatment, if necessary. Your heart will thank you.

Feb. 11, 2025

By April Oates, MSN, APRN, ACNP-BC
WellMed Specialists for Health, cardiology
San Antonio, Texas

You’ve probably heard that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, so it makes sense that taking care of your heart is one of the most important things you can do to safeguard your health. You might then ask, what can I do if I want to know if my heart is healthy?

There are three critical elements to maximizing your heart health:

  • Prevention: Live a healthy heart life with these four practices: Eat well, stay active, maintain a healthy weight and quit smoking.
  • Monitoring: See your doctor regularly to have your blood pressure, cholesterol and heart function tested.
  • Treatment: If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol, follow instructions and take it. If your doctor prescribes a particular diet and exercise regimen, follow it.

Keep your finger on the pulse of your heart health

Let’s focus on monitoring. Even if you believe you are in tip-top shape, it’s critical that you see your doctor regularly. Only trained providers can tell if your heart is healthy; and remember, high blood pressure can be a silent killer.

Here are some basic tests that may detect issues with your heart:

  • Blood pressure check – Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood pushing against your artery walls. Blood pressure for a healthy adult should be less than 130/80. If you have other health issues, your provider may want you to keep it lower. If your blood pressure is too high, your provider will likely prescribe diet and medication to lower it.
  • EKG – This simple test is a snapshot in time of the electrical activity generated by your heart. The test can indicate if you have an irregular heart rhythm. It can also indicate a possible lack of blood flow to a part of your heart, or a blocked artery and prompt additional testing.
  • Lipid panel – This blood test checks the levels of fat in your blood. You may be familiar with the terms “good” cholesterol, or HDL, and “bad” cholesterol, LDL. LDL cholesterol is the main type of fat that can build up and block your arteries, whereas HDL cholesterol can help remove excess cholesterol from your body. An acceptable LDL is lower than 100, and a goal for HDL is higher than 40. Your triglycerides are another kind of fat in your blood and should be below 150. Patients with diabetes or known heart disease will likely need more aggressive goals and tighter control over these numbers, as the diabetes can significantly increase the risk for heart disease.
  • Hemoglobin A1c – This is the term for the measure of the average amount of glucose in your blood over a period of three months. A normal reading is 5.6% or lower. A prediabetic range is 5.7 to 6.4% and diabetes is diagnosed at 6.5% or higher. People with Diabetes have increased risk of developing heart disease. The goal is to prevent developing diabetes, therefore, for most adults, the goal for A1c is less than 6.5%. Because diabetes is so tightly linked to heart issues, the goal for those with diabetes is <7%.

What if you have abnormal test results?

Your doctor may recommend the following tests:

  • Echocardiogram – This is an ultrasound of the heart and nearby blood vessels. It can help diagnose weakness or thickening of the heart muscle that causes heart failure, or an abnormal heart valve or other anomalies. It shows the heart size and shape, blood flow, muscle function and rhythm.
  • Stress test – These can be done with or without exercise to see how much “stress” or exertion the heart can tolerate, and if there is any lack of blood flow to the heart with stress. This can indicate if there are blockages in the arteries that feed blood to the heart.
  • CT angiogram – This is a non-invasive test that produces images of the heart with X-rays and a special dye. It can help identify blockages or narrowing of the blood vessels, aneurysms, plaque buildup inside the heart arteries.

If any of these tests are abnormal, your cardiologist or cardiology APC will discuss the next best steps.

What symptoms of heart trouble should I look for?

Don’t wait for symptoms to see your doctor. However, if you have any of these symptoms, call your provider right away:

  • Chest pain or pressure with activity that goes away with rest
  • Shortness of breath with or without pain
  • Pain in your jaw or radiating down the left or right arm not related to muscle or bone
  • Pain that spreads from chest to back
  • Heart pounding or racing
  • Unusual dizziness or passing out
  • Swelling of ankles or belly
  • Trouble breathing when lying down, or waking up during the night with trouble breathing

Heart health can be anxiety producing for many, but your PCP and cardiology team can talk with you to calm your concerns and help you achieve or maintain a healthy heart. My best advice is to pay attention to change, listen to your body, and when there is a change, be your own advocate and see your doctor to get the care you need.

April Oates is an experienced Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with 15 years of extensive practice focused on cardiovascular disease. She has been in practice with WellMed since 2012 and APC for the Heart Failure Clinic with Specialists for Health Cardiology in San Antonio, Texas, since 2018. NP Oates earned her BSN from the University of South Alabama, and her MSN Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from UT Health San Antonio with High Honors.

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