SAN ANTONIO — The holiday season sees a huge uptick in heart attacks. Excess food, alcohol, and stress are often to blame. Heart disease is the number one killer in San Antonio and Bexar County. The key to beating it most of the time is catching any problems early.
"Most patients come when they've already had a index symptom, whether it be a heart attack, stroke, a heart rhythm problem. And oftentimes, some of these problems could have been prevented or delayed if they would have gotten preventative care." said Dr. Anand Prasad who is the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at University Health, and a Professor of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. He says you need to look out for some of the more obvious symptoms of heart disease including shortness of breath, chest discomfort, palpitations, lightheadedness, and even passing out.
"But it's really picking up on those subtle preventative cues that are very important," Dr. Prasad added.
Dr. Prasad says 95% of your risk assessment can be done by your previous medical history such as past lab work and blood pressure, but your family history plays a huge role.
"Do your brothers, sisters, mother, father," Dr. Prasad said. "How are they doing? Do they have diabetes? Have they had amputations? Do they have a history of heart attacks? Are they overweight?"
So when should you get screened for heart disease? Near the age of 40 unless you have a family history.
"If you have male relatives who had heart disease or cardiovascular disease before the age of 65 or women relatives under the age of 55, that's also a red flag that you have a strong family history," Dr. Prasad said.
If you want to learn more about your risks for a heart problem take this survey by University Health.
For more information about family health call (210) 358-3045. You can also find the rest of Wear The Gown stories, just go to WearTheGown.com.