{"id":2401,"date":"2025-10-23T22:29:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T04:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/?p=2401"},"modified":"2025-10-23T22:34:57","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T04:34:57","slug":"cardiac-checkup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/blog\/diagnostic-evaluation\/cardiac-checkup\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiac check-up: what is included and who is it recommended for?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>cardiological check-up<\/strong> is a comprehensive assessment to understand your current cardiovascular risk, detect silent problems and define a preventive plan. It is not a one-size-fits-all package: it is tailored to your age, history, symptoms and health goals. If you are looking to confirm this for your case, schedule a <a href=\"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/contact\/\">Clinical cardiology consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is it and what is it for?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A well-done check-up combines targeted medical history, physical examination, objective measurements (blood pressure, heart rate, BMI), laboratory tests and selected cardiological studies. Its objective is to <strong>estimate risk<\/strong>, <strong>detect damage early<\/strong> (arterial, myocardial or electrical), and <strong>propose interventions<\/strong> (lifestyle and\/or treatment) based on AHA\/ACC\/ESC guidelines.<br>If you want the service-oriented version, see the details at <a href=\"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/cardiac-checkup\/\">Cardiac check-up<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To whom is it recommended?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Persons \u226540 years old<\/strong> without previous cardiac diagnosis but with one or more risk factors (hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, early menopause, family history).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Under 40<\/strong> with <strong>symptoms<\/strong> (atypical chest pain, palpitations, disproportionate dyspnea, syncope) or with <strong>multiple risk factors<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Those who plan to <strong>resuming or starting moderate-vigorous exercise<\/strong> or physically demanding jobs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patients with <strong>systemic diseases<\/strong> (autoimmune, oncologic, renal) that increase cardiovascular risk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Before surgical procedures: the <strong>preoperative assessment<\/strong> may require check-up components depending on the type of surgery and your profile.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does it include (selection according to profile)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Resting electrocardiogram (ECG)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It is used to detect arrhythmias, conduction disorders, signs of ischemia or hypertrophy. It is a basic, fast and non-invasive test. Learn more in <a href=\"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/studies\/electrocardiogram-echocardiogram\/\">Electrocardiogram (ECG)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stress test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Useful for <strong>stratify risk<\/strong>, evaluate <strong>functional capacity<\/strong> and look for inducible ischemia in selected patients. It also helps to <strong>prescribe exercise<\/strong> safely and securely. For more information, please contact us: <a href=\"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/studies\/stress-test\/\">Stress test<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transthoracic echocardiography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Evaluates <strong>heart size and function<\/strong>, valves and pulmonary pressure. Indicated if there are murmurs, symptoms, history or abnormal findings in other tests. Detail of the study: <a href=\"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/studies\/doppler-echocardiogram\/\">Transthoracic echocardiography<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">24 h MAP (ambulatory blood pressure)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It allows to confirm hypertension, assess <strong>nighttime patterns<\/strong> and adjust treatment with real data. It is especially useful when the figures in consultation do not match those at home. Learn more about it here: <a href=\"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/studies\/24h-pressure-map\/\">24 h MAP (ambulatory blood pressure)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other common components<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Laboratory:<\/strong> lipid profile (with non-HDL\/apoB when applicable), glucose\/HbA1c, renal function, TSH and inflammation markers if required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Measurements and lifestyles:<\/strong> BMI, abdominal circumference, tobacco\/alcohol consumption, sleep pattern, stress and physical activity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Calculated risk:<\/strong> use of validated calculators to estimate 10-year and lifetime risk, adapted to the clinical context.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How often to repeat it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Low risk:<\/strong> each <strong>2-3 years<\/strong>, provided that no symptoms appear.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Intermediate risk:<\/strong> <strong>annual<\/strong> or according to goals (lipids, pressure, weight).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High risk or with established disease:<\/strong> according to medical indications and control goals; some components are reviewed each year <strong>3-6 months<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to prepare yourself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It carries <strong>list of medications and dosages<\/strong> (including supplements).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go with <strong>comfortable clothing and footwear<\/strong> if you could perform a stress test.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Depending on the requested studies, the following may be requested <strong>fasting<\/strong> (lipids, glucose) and avoid caffeine\/tobacco 12-24 h before.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you monitor your blood pressure at home, bring <strong>last week's record<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You will receive a <strong>integrated report<\/strong> with targets (LDL, blood pressure, glucose\/weight), recommendations of <strong>physical activity<\/strong> y <strong>cardioprotective nutrition<\/strong>, and, if required, <strong>treatment settings<\/strong> or referral to programs such as cardiac rehabilitation. The goal is a plan <strong>practical and sustainable<\/strong> that reduces your actual risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do I need all the tests?<\/strong><br>No. They are indicated according to <strong>your medical history and risk<\/strong>. We avoid unnecessary studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is exercise safe?<\/strong><br>Yes, when it is <strong>prescribed<\/strong> y <strong>progressive<\/strong>; the <strong>stress test<\/strong> helps to adjust intensities and detect limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If I feel good, is it worth the check-up?<\/strong><br>Yes: many conditions at the beginning are <strong>asymptomatic<\/strong>. A preventive approach allows early intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Arnett, D. K., Blumenthal, R. S., Albert, M. A., et al. (2019). 2019 ACC\/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. <em>Journal of the American College of Cardiology<\/em>, 74(10), e177-e232. <a>https:\/\/www.jacc.org\/doi\/10.1016\/j.jacc.2019.03.010<\/a><br>Visseren, F. L. J., Mach, F., Smulders, Y. M., et al. (2021). 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. <em>European Heart Journal<\/em>, 42(34), 3227-3337. <a>https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/eurheartj\/article\/42\/34\/3227\/6358719<\/a><br>Gulati, M., Levy, P. D., Mukherjee, D., et al. (2021). 2021 AHA\/ACC Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain. <em>Circulation<\/em>, 144(22), e368-e454. <a>https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001029<\/a><br>Grundy, S. M., Stone, N. J., Bailey, A. L., et al. (2019). 2018 AHA\/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. <em>Circulation<\/em>, 139(25), e1082-e1143. <a>https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000000625<\/a><br>Whelton, P. K., Carey, R. M., Aronow, W. S., et al. (2018). 2017 ACC\/AHA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. <em>Hypertension<\/em>, 71(6), e13-e115. <a>https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/HYP.0000000000000065<\/a><br>Piepoli, M. F., Hoes, A. W., Agewall, S., et al. (2016). 2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. <em>European Heart Journal<\/em>, 37(29), 2315-2381. <a>https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/eurheartj\/article\/37\/29\/2315\/1748952<\/a><br>Pelliccia, A., Sharma, S., Gati, S., et al. (2021). ESC Guidelines on sports cardiology and exercise in patients with cardiovascular disease. <em>European Heart Journal<\/em>, 42(1), 17-96. <a>https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/eurheartj\/article\/42\/1\/17\/5901317<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>El check-up cardiol\u00f3gico es una valoraci\u00f3n integral para conocer tu riesgo cardiovascular actual, detectar problemas silenciosos y definir un plan preventivo. No es un paquete \u00fanico: se adapta a tu edad, antecedentes, s\u00edntomas y metas de salud. Si buscas confirmarlo para tu caso, agenda una Consulta de cardiolog\u00eda cl\u00ednica. \u00bfQu\u00e9 es y para qu\u00e9 sirve? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-evaluacion-diagnostico"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drakarlacastolo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}