Pelican Family Medicine

Cardiovascular Screening

Family Medicine located in Wilmington, NC

Cardiovascular Screening services offered in Wilmington, NC

Heart disease is a leading cause of death. But the good news is that early detection and treatment of its risk factors can lower your risk of developing severe heart problems. At Pelican Family Medicine, with two convenient offices in Wilmington, North Carolina, Samuel Armitage, MD, and his team offer cardiovascular screening to detect high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other heart-disease risk factors. Call the office to schedule a screening, or use the online booking feature today.

Cardiovascular Screening Q&A

What is cardiovascular screening?

Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease screening at Pelican Family Medicine includes diagnostic tests that detect heart disease and its risk factors. Early detection is the best way to prevent a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other life-threatening heart and blood vessel complications.

What are the benefits of cardiovascular screening?

The primary benefit of cardiovascular screening is a reduced risk of heart-related complications and death. Pelican Family Medicine offers several heart-disease screenings and procedures that significantly lessen your chance of being in a life-altering situation.

Is cardiovascular screening right for me?

The Pelican Family Medicine team lets you know if you’re a candidate for cardiovascular screening. If you are, they’ll tell you which screening tests are best based on your age and heart-disease risk factors. They review your personal and family medical histories, symptoms, lifestyle, and medication regimen.

Your provider also completes a physical exam to evaluate your body mass index (BMI), eyes, ears, breathing, heartbeat, limbs, and reflexes. This is done to check for signs of heart problems and other chronic disease risk factors.

They let you know which heart disease screenings you’ll need and how often you should schedule them to maintain superior heart health.

Which cardiovascular screenings are available?

Some of the cardiovascular screenings available at Pelican Family Medicine include:

Electrocardiograms (EKGs)

EKGs use electrodes to measure your heart’s electrical activity. This painless test lets your family medicine specialist know if you have heart irregularities that require treatment or further diagnostic testing.

Stress tests

Stress tests involve evaluating your heart’s function during physical activity. During a stress test, you might walk or run on a treadmill or cycle on a stationary bike.

Holter monitoring

Holter monitoring allows you to wear a portable EKG device for a day or two to record your heart’s activity over an extended period.

Imaging procedures

Echocardiograms use sound waves to develop images of your heart’s structure and function. It helps your provider determine if you have a leaking or narrowed valve. You might also be a candidate for a heart CT scan or MRI.

Lipid profile analysis

Your Pelican Family Medicine provider uses blood tests to evaluate your cholesterol and triglyceride levels and assess your risk of heart disease.

Blood glucose screenings

Your family medicine specialist might check your blood glucose levels because diabetes is a risk factor for developing heart problems.

Blood pressure measurements

The Pelican Family Medicine team checks your blood pressure using a cuff and stethoscope or blood pressure monitoring machine.

How are heart disease risk factors treated?

The most common treatments for heart disease risk factors are:

  • Weight loss
  • Changing your diet and exercise routine
  • Taking dietary supplements or medications

If you need to see a heart specialist, the Pelican Family Medicine team can refer you to one.

Call the nearest Pelican Family Medicine office or use the online booking feature to schedule a cardiovascular screening today.