Heart Screening

One in every five deaths in the United States is the result of heart disease. To lower your risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and other serious heart conditions, Pediatric Healthy Hearts offers preventive heart screenings. Nida Yousef, MD, and the cardiologists check your cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, and other vital signs. They focus on identifying early signs of heart disease so you can get the treatment you need to improve your cardiovascular health. Call the Evergreen Park, Illinois, office today to schedule a heart screening or book an appointment online.

What is a heart screening?

A heart screening evaluates how well your heart is working and assesses the structures of the organ. The goal of preventive heart screenings is to identify early warning signs of heart disease and other conditions before they cause symptoms and complications.

Pediatric Healthy Hearts offers heart screening services for children and adolescents. The cardiologists check your heart to identify conditions like arrhythmias, heart failure, heart disease, and other issues that can lead to stroke, heart attack, and premature death.

When do I need a heart screening?

The Pediatric Healthy Hearts providers may recommend starting heart screenings as early as the 1st year of life depending on genetics and inherited heart conditions in the family. 

You can also expect to schedule a routine heart screening if you’re at risk for certain heart conditions. Risk factors can include:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Poor diet
• Smoking history
• Sedentary lifestyle

Regular heart screenings are also available for those with high blood pressure (hypertension) and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol).

The providers discuss with you the timeline for screenings during your consultation. They base your screening schedule on your age, personal and family medical history, existing health, and lifestyle.

What happens during a heart screening?

Pediatric Healthy Hearts includes several in-office tests in your routine heart screening, including:

Weight checks

Your body weight plays a role in your overall health. Being overweight puts unnecessary pressure on your heart and increases your risk for heart failure, kidney disease, and other serious cardiovascular conditions.

Blood pressure monitoring

Blood pressure monitoring is a noninvasive test to check the force of your blood against the walls of your arteries. Uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to chronic heart problems and sudden, premature death.

Lipoprotein profile

A lipoprotein profile involves a blood test to check your triglyceride, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels. Unmanaged high cholesterol (dyslipidemia) can cause coronary artery disease (CAD) and put you at risk for stroke and heart attack.

Blood glucose test

A blood glucose test is a blood test to assess the levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. High glucose levels can be an indication of Type 2 diabetes and increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other serious conditions.

The providers may also request an electrocardiogram (EKG) or echocardiogram if your other tests reveal potential underlying heart problems.

Call Pediatric Healthy Hearts today to schedule a preventive heart screening or book an appointment online.