At Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital Cardiac & Vascular Institute, we care about the health and well-being of not only individual patients but also our entire community.
Education is an important component of good health and developing and maintaining a balanced and thriving life. This is why we stress educating members of our community on the prevention, risk factors, and symptoms of cardiovascular diseases.
Health screenings encourage your awareness by providing baseline health statistics from which you can monitor your own health trends over time. If a health screening reveals high-risk results, you can then know to undergo further tests that can assist you with detection and prevention of any cardiovascular disease progression.
We offer a variety of health screenings to the public throughout Colorado at no or low cost. The Cardiac & Vascular Institute also works with employers in arranging employee health screening events.
For more information on upcoming health screening events, or if you are an employer wishing to schedule a health screening at your organization, please call 303.866.8939.
To learn more about cardiovascular screening tests, click on each screening below to find out. You will also learn:
Blood Pressure
What does it measure?
A blood pressure cuff (automatic or manual) is wrapped around the top part of your arm to measure the force of blood against the walls of arteries. This test measures your systolic and diastolic blood pressure, thus allowing analysis of your range by our clinicians. Systolic blood pressure (shown as the top number in the blood pressure reading) is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure (shown as the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats.
Why is it important?
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure rises and falls during the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, it is called high blood pressure. The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard and contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke and also can lead to other conditions such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease and blindness.
Blood pressure is the force of your heart pumping blood and moving blood through your body. Each time your heart beats, it sends blood through your blood vessels. Your blood vessels are like hoses that carry blood through your body. The force (pressure) of the blood through the vessels can be measured, and is called a blood pressure reading.
A sample of a normal blood pressure reading looks like this: 120/80. Your own numbers may be higher or lower. Systolic blood pressure is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart beats, and is shown as the top number in the blood pressure reading. Diastolic blood pressure is the force of blood in the arteries as the heart relaxes between beats, and is shown as the bottom number in a blood pressure reading.
Normal blood pressure changes often. Doing hard work like lifting heavy objects or playing sports makes the systolic blood pressure go up. Feeling stressed or very upset may also make it increase. In healthy people, the blood pressure goes back down after exercise or stress. But in people with high blood pressure, it stays high even after exercise or stress.
Body Fat Analysis (Also called Body Mass Index (BMI) or Body Fat Percentage)
What does it measure?
Body Mass Index (BMI) measures weight for height and provides a way to estimate the effect of weight on health. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of some diseases, including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
To calculate exact BMI, one of the following equations is used:
Body Fat Percentage is determined using a specially designed, hand-held monitor. A small electrical current is passed through your body, allowing the electrical resistance of your body to be measured. This type of measurement of body fat is based on the principle that lean body mass conducts electricity better than fat body mass. Along with the electrical resistance, your height and weight are used to calculate your percent of body fat. Results can vary based on how much water is in your body and where the electrodes are placed.
Why is it important?
Experts differ in their opinions about what is a healthy percentage of body fat. In general, 10% to 25% body fat is considered healthy in an adult man, and 18% to 32% body fat is considered healthy in an adult woman. Anything above these levels is considered unhealthy.
Percentage of body fat will vary between different population groups. Your age, sex, and activity level will also affect your percentage of body fat. For example, endurance runners have less body fat than swimmers. People living near the North or South Pole generally have more body fat than people who live in more moderate temperature zones.
If your BMI is higher than recommended, your doctor may then measure your waist. In men, a waist measurement greater than 40 in. (101.6 cm) is considered a health risk. Women who have a waist size larger than 35 in. (88.9 cm) are considered at risk for disease.
Diseases associated with obesity and a large waist measurement include:
•· High cholesterol and cardiovascular disease (including coronary artery disease and stroke).
•· High blood pressure (hypertension). People who are obese have a risk for high blood pressure that is 2 to 3 times greater than that of people who maintain a healthy weight.
•· Sleep apnea and respiratory problems.
•· Type 2 diabetes.
•· Gallbladder disease (gallstones). People who are overweight have a risk for gallbladder disease that is 2 to 3 times greater than that of people who maintain a healthy weight.
•· Metabolic syndrome. Research has shown that having this syndrome increases your risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), even beyond that caused by high cholesterol alone.
•· Osteoporosis.
•· Osteoarthritis. •· Some forms of cancer, such as colon, breast and prostate.
For more information on health risks, see the topic Obesity.
Cardiac Risk Assessment
What does it measure?
The Cardiovascular (Cardiac) Risk Assessment (or Heart Disease Risk Assessment) utilizes the Framingham Risk Score which takes into consideration your global risk factor assessment, BMI, Waist Circumference Measurement, and Waist-Hip ratio calculating your risk level of developing a cardiovascular disease. During the past 50 years, the Framingham Heart Study has studied the progression of heart disease and its risk factors.
If you are concerned about your score, talk to your doctor about lowering your risk for a heart attack. You can make lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or changing your diet, that can substantially reduce your chances of heart attack. For more information, see the topic Coronary Artery Disease.
Why is it important?
The Cardiac Risk Assessment is an interactive tool that measures your chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. The tool uses the values you enter to calculate your risk score. The calculation is based on information from the Framingham Heart Study. During the past 50 years, the Framingham Heart Study has studied the progression of heart disease and its risk factors.
The values you enter include the most important risk factors for heart disease, which are:
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Age and gender. The number of people affected by heart disease increases with age in men after age 45 and in women after age 55.
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Smoker. Select "yes" if you have smoked any cigarettes in the past month. Quitting smoking may be the most important step you can take to reduce your risk for heart disease.
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Systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the first number of your blood pressure reading. For example, if your reading is 120/80 (120 over 80), your systolic blood pressure is 120.
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Blood pressure medicine. Medicines used to treat high blood pressure include diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and direct rennin inhibitors. Enter "yes" if you take one of these medicines.
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HDL cholesterol. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is the "good" cholesterol because it helps prevent cholesterol from building up in your arteries. The higher your HDL, the better. An HDL of 60 mg/dL and above protects against heart disease. An HDL of less than 40 mg/dL puts you at major risk of heart attack.
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Total cholesterol. Total cholesterol is the sum of all the cholesterol in your blood. The higher your total cholesterol, the greater your risk for heart disease. A total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL and above puts you at twice the risk of heart disease compared with someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL. Less than 200 mg/dL gives you a lower risk for heart disease.
Cholesterol & Glucose
What does it measure?
Cholesterol and triglyceride tests are blood tests that measure the total amount of fatty substances (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood. Results from this test are available within 10 minutes of running the test.
The health professional taking a sample of your blood will take the following steps:
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Wrap an elastic band around your upper arm to stop the flow of blood. This makes the veins below the band larger so it is easier to put a needle into the vein.
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Clean the needle site with alcohol.
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Put the needle into the vein. More than one needle stick may be needed.
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Attach a tube to the needle to fill it with blood.
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Remove the band from your arm when enough blood is collected.
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Put a gauze pad or cotton ball over the needle site as the needle is removed.
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Put pressure on the site and then apply a bandage.
Blood glucose tests are done in conjunction with the cholesterol screenings in order to:
Blood glucose tests are done in conjunction with the cholesterol screenings in order to:
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Check for diabetes.
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Monitor treatment of diabetes.
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Check for diabetes that occurs during pregnancy (gestational diabetes).
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Determine if an abnormally low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia) is present. A test to measure blood levels of insulin and a protein called C-Peptide may be done along with a blood glucose test to determine the cause of hypoglycemia. For more information, see the medical test C-Peptide.
Why is it important?
Cholesterol is a type of fat called a lipid. The body uses it for many things, such as making new cells. Your liver makes the cholesterol that your body needs. You also get cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Cholesterol is a type of fat called a lipid. The body uses it for many things, such as making new cells. Your liver makes the cholesterol that your body needs. You also get cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Your body needs some cholesterol. But if you have too much, it starts to build up in your arteries. (Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.) This is called hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. It is usually a slow process that gets worse as you get older.
To understand what happens, think about how a clog forms in the pipe under a kitchen sink. Like the build-up of grease in the pipe, the build-up of cholesterol narrows your arteries and makes it harder for blood to flow through them. It reduces the amount of blood that gets to your body tissues, including your heart. This can lead to serious problems, including heart attack and stroke.
To find out how you are doing, compare your total cholesterol number to the following:
A blood glucose test measures the amount of a type of sugar - called glucose - in your blood. Glucose comes from carbohydrate foods. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body's cells use the glucose. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and released into the blood when the amount of glucose in the blood rises.
Normally, your blood glucose levels increase slightly after you eat. This increase causes your pancreas to release insulin so that your blood glucose levels do not get too high. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels.
Several different types of blood glucose tests are used.
Several different types of blood glucose tests are used.
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Fasting blood sugar (FBS) measures blood glucose after you have not eaten for at least 8 hours. It often is the first test done to check for diabetes.
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2-hour postprandial blood sugar measures blood glucose exactly 2 hours after you eat a meal.
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Random blood sugar (RBS) measures blood glucose regardless of when you last ate. Several random measurements may be taken throughout the day. Random testing is useful because glucose levels in healthy people do not vary widely throughout the day. Blood glucose levels that vary widely may indicate a problem. This test is also called a casual blood glucose test.
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Oral glucose tolerance test is used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test is a series of blood glucose measurements taken after you drink a sweet liquid that contains glucose. This test is commonly used to diagnose diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, called gestational diabetes. For more information, see the medical test Gestational Diabetes. This test is not commonly used to diagnose diabetes in a person who is not pregnant.
ECHO (Echocardiogram)
What does it measure?
A mini-ECHO may be performed to diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM), left ventricular function, and assessment of cardiac valves. The ECHO is performed by a certified cardiovascular technologist.
An echocardiogram (ECHO) is a type of ultrasound test that uses high-pitched sound waves that are sent through a device called a transducer. The device picks up echoes of the sound waves as they bounce off the different parts of your heart. These echoes are turned into moving pictures of your heart that can be viewed on a video screen. The procedure is painless and simply requires you to lie on your left side for about 5 minutes. Results are immediate.
Why is it important?
An echocardiogram provides detailed information about how well the heart is working and possible causes of chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and swelling. This test is done to:
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Look for the cause of abnormal heart sounds (murmurs or clicks), an enlarged heart, unexplained chest pains, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeats.
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Check the thickness and movement of the heart wall.
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Look at the heart valves and check how well they work.
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See how well an artificial heart valve is working.
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Measure the size and shape of the heart's chambers.
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Check the ability of your heart chambers to pump blood (cardiac performance). During an echocardiogram, your doctor can calculate how much blood your heart is pumping during each heartbeat (ejection fraction). You might have a low ejection fraction if you have heart failure.
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Detect a disease that affects the heart muscle and the way it pumps, such as cardiomyopathy.
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Look for blood clots and tumors inside the heart.
EKG (Electrocardiogram)
What does it measure?
An EKG (also abbreviated ECG) may be performed to assess cardiac rhythm. During an EKG:
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You will lie on a bed or table. Areas on your arms, legs, and chest where small metal discs (electrodes) will be placed are cleaned and may be shaved to provide a clean, smooth surface to attach the electrode discs. A special EKG paste or small pads soaked in alcohol may be placed between the electrodes and your skin to improve conduction of the electrical impulses, but in many cases disposable electrodes are used that do not require paste or alcohol.
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Several electrodes are attached to the skin on each arm and leg and on your chest. These are hooked to a machine that traces your heart activity onto paper. If an older machine is used, the electrodes may be moved at different times during the test to measure your heart's electrical activity from different locations on your chest. After the procedure, the electrode paste is wiped off.
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You will be asked to lie very still and breathe normally during the test. Sometimes you may be asked to hold your breath. You should not talk during the test.
After your EKG test, you will be given a pocket card reporting your EKG reading which you can carry with you at all times.
Why is it important?
An EKG may be performed to assess cardiac rhythm. Sometimes your EKG may look normal even when you have heart disease. For this reason, the EKG should always be interpreted along with your symptoms, history, physical examination, and, if necessary, other test results.
An electrocardiogram cannot predict whether you will have a heart attack.
At first, an EKG done during a heart attack may look normal or unchanged from a previous EKG. Therefore, the EKG may be repeated over several hours and days (called serial EKGs) to look for changes.
There are several other types of electrocardiograms, including telemetry, ambulatory (Holter) monitoring, and exercise EKG (also called "stress test") testing. For more information, see the medical tests Ambulatory Electrocardiogram and Exercise Electrocardiogram.
Sometimes EKG abnormalities can be seen only during exercise or while symptoms are present. To check for these changes in the heartbeat, an ambulatory EKG or stress EKG may be done.
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An ambulatory EKG is a type of portable, continuous EKG monitor. For more information, see the medical test Ambulatory Electrocardiogram.
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A stress EKG is a type of EKG done during exercise. A resting EKG is always done before an exercise EKG test, and results of the resting EKG are compared to the results of the exercise EKG. A resting EKG may also show a heart problem that would make an exercise EKG unsafe. For more information, see the medical test Exercise Electrocardiogram.
Some doctors think that people older than age 35 need a baseline EKG before problems develop. This baseline EKG may be compared to later EKGs to see if changes have occurred. However, a baseline EKG is expensive and may not be covered by insurance. Baseline EKGs may be most useful in people who have other conditions or diseases that increase their chances of having heart disease.
Vascular Screenings - P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease)
P.A.D. or ankle-brachial index (ABI) tests may be performed with blood pressure cuffs or via ultrasound. The clinical staff performing the tests will be monitoring the blood flow in the arteries of your legs and arms.
What does it measure?
ABI may be performed to determine if there is decreased blood flow in the leg arteries. It also compares your blood pressure in the arms and ankles to detect narrowing and plaque build-up in/of the arteries. This test increases awareness of this "silent" disease and decreases your risk of heart attack or stroke by 33%.
Why is it important?
According to a 2007 survey of men and women 50 years and older, 74% were not aware of P.A.D. This disease increases your chance of dying of a stroke or heart attack by 33%.
Symptoms of P.A.D. include:
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Claudication
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Fatigue, tiredness, or pain in your legs (occurs with walking and goes away with rest)
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Pain in your thighs or buttocks, which also occurs with walking and subsides at rest
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Foot or toe pain that often disturbs your sleep
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Slow to heal wound on your feet
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your physician or nurse on your next healthcare visit.
Risk factors for P.A.D. include:
If you have one or more of these risk factors, talk with your healthcare provider.
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