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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

On Sunday, the Journal-World ran a story about a woman whose dramatic heart attack at age 46 inspired over 80 people to get their hearts scanned. In the story, Angie Loving, who survived a widowmaker heart attack, encouraged the public to get their hearts scanned.

To find out the best way to get a heart scan, the Journal-World reached out to a cardiologist at LMH Health: Dr. Christina Salazar.

Salazar said talking to one’s primary care provider or cardiologist prior to scheduling any testing would provide necessary background and interpretation of testing results, as well as establish a partnership between the patient and provider.

“I highly recommend consultation with a medical provider before scheduling any testing,” she wrote in an email to the Journal-World.

Salazar said that she and her colleagues at Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence assess every patient for risk of heart disease.

For patients without active symptoms or who have atypical symptoms, Salazar said doctors discuss cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, diet, exercise, family history and other parts of the patient’s medical history. They also might consider a coronary calcium scan or coronary computed tomography angiography. These two exams provide pictures of the heart and arteries and can identify where blood flow may be restricted. They are outpatient procedures.

For patients with known heart disease, there are many diagnostic heart tests — “some more invasive than others,” Salazar wrote. They include, among others, echocardiograms, stress testing, electrocardiograms, rhythm monitoring and coronary angiography. Salazar said that many of these tests were noninvasive, outpatient procedures, but that the coronary angiogram was an invasive test that was done both inpatient and outpatient.

Salazar said that there was no certain age at which a heart scan is recommended. Additionally, it’s not something that should be repeated annually or on another scheduled basis. It’s something that should be assessed and determined by a provider and the patient based on health history, risk factors and more.

According to an article written by Dr. Stephanie Coulter on The Texas Heart Institute’s website, because computed tomography (CT) scanners emit radiation, heart scans are not necessarily without risk. Like Salazar, Coulter states that doctors will be able to advise patients about which tests would be most useful.

Salazar did not provide information about the cost of these different exams, but wrote that patients who may struggle to afford a necessary exam can potentially receive financial help through the LMH Health Foundation’s Help and Healing fund. Every year, LMH Health provides more than $25 million dollars in charitable care to the community.

American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain, according to the American Heart Association. Women are more likely to experience some of the other common symptoms of a heart attack, particularly shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and back or jaw pain. Visit heart.org for more information from the American Heart Association.