Could You Have This Common Health Problem and Not Know It?
Heart disease. It’s one of the most common health conditions affecting Americans and is the leading cause of death in the U.S., but it may not be so easy to spot. This serious disease often goes undetected at its earliest stages because it doesn’t cause any symptoms. That’s why if you have it, you may not know about it until it’s too late, such as when you have a heart attack or experience heart failure.
Is heart disease easy to diagnose?
One reason it’s not so easy to know if you have heart disease is that it’s not so simple to check for it. A doctor can’t tell whether you have a build-up of plaque in your arteries or determine if your heart muscle has weakened just by looking at you during an exam. The only way to get a very accurate picture of your heart’s health is by doing expensive diagnostic tests that are sometimes invasive and often not recommended unless you already have symptoms. However, there are easy ways to identify conditions that affect your heart health, and these shouldn’t be ignored.
What is the biggest risk factor for heart disease?