OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for men and women as it’s responsible for one in every four deaths in the country.
In honor of American Heart Month, CHI Health is putting an emphasis on prevention and getting checkups.
CHI cardiologist Dr. Jalal Vargha says the best way to take care of yourself is by taking preventable measures before it may become too late.
Risk factors include smoking, drinking, unhealthy diets, and family history. Some early signs of heart disease are chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, high blood pressure and palpitations.
Dr. Vargha says you shouldn’t just be waiting for signs, and he stresses the importance of getting regular check-ups with your doctor or cardiologist.
At CHI there are several screenings and tests that can be done to ensure you’re not at risk of a heart attack or heart failure.
One example is a Cardiac CT Calcium Scoring.
“This is an important scan that shows how much calcium is in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, and these usually correlate with higher risks of having heart attacks down the line,” Vargha said. “As we were talking about preventative cardiology, if you know you have these calciums early on we can get you on the right medications beforehand.”
For American Heart Month CHI Health has partnered with MD Save to make these tests much more affordable.
Instead of paying more than $300 it costs just $75 and may qualify as an insurance deductible.
The voucher must be purchased before the month ends, but you can schedule your appointment anytime in the next six months.
“It’s a test that you come in and it takes no more than two hours once you show up,” Vargha said. “The test itself takes less than a minute and we’re able to get the results very quickly back to you.”
Click here to learn more about the voucher or to purchase it.
