BigN8
Jetboaters Admiral
- Messages
- 2,596
- Reaction score
- 5,803
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Corinth, TX
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2010
- Boat Model
- SX
- Boat Length
- 24
I thought I would start a new conversation regarding this subject since most of us on here are hard working males in our 40's-60's. In the conversation about @ArmyChief I mentioned I was going to get checked out due to my brother having had 2 heart attacks before the age of 52 (problem is due to his hypothalamus which regulates blood pressure, very rare cause). Someone mentioned they wanted updates of the results. I think this is an important conversation for all of us and that we should not delay being proactive about the condition of our heart.
First visit with the cardiologist went well. He is the same age as me (43) and totally understands wanting to have the basic tests done to erase any doubt about what is going on with your heart. In his words there are 3 main things that cause a heart attack: 1) smoking, 2) diabetes, 3) genetics. We have all heard the warnings, and we all know about lung cancer, but the single worst thing you can do for your arteries is smoke. (Don't shoot the messenger).
If you are a healthy male just walking in off the street then you are limited to what tests can be performed and paid by your insurance. You cannot get a angiogram paid for by your insurance without having something wrong with you. However you can get 4 basic tests performed that aren't that expensive and will rule out 90% of the things that can be wrong with your heart.
1) Coronary CT Calcium Score
2) Cardiac Ultrasound
3) Stress test
4) Blood work
1) I just had the CT scan performed. It's not covered by insurance but it is only $100. It takes 2 minutes in the CT scanner and you get the results immediately. My score was 0. The lower the score the better. This scan is looking for the hard calcium that starts to form on the walls of your arteries.
2) Cardiac Ultrasound. My insurance picked this up 100% because we have already met our max out of pocket (wife's chemo), so I am not sure the cost on this. It takes 30 minutes and you get the results on your next visit. This is the best way to see what is going on with the heart and all related arteries and muscles. It measures the size of the arteries, blood flow through the arteries, and valves.
This is all I have done so far. I have the stress test and blood work in 2 weeks. I will post an update after I have done those tests and received results.
First visit with the cardiologist went well. He is the same age as me (43) and totally understands wanting to have the basic tests done to erase any doubt about what is going on with your heart. In his words there are 3 main things that cause a heart attack: 1) smoking, 2) diabetes, 3) genetics. We have all heard the warnings, and we all know about lung cancer, but the single worst thing you can do for your arteries is smoke. (Don't shoot the messenger).
If you are a healthy male just walking in off the street then you are limited to what tests can be performed and paid by your insurance. You cannot get a angiogram paid for by your insurance without having something wrong with you. However you can get 4 basic tests performed that aren't that expensive and will rule out 90% of the things that can be wrong with your heart.
1) Coronary CT Calcium Score
2) Cardiac Ultrasound
3) Stress test
4) Blood work
1) I just had the CT scan performed. It's not covered by insurance but it is only $100. It takes 2 minutes in the CT scanner and you get the results immediately. My score was 0. The lower the score the better. This scan is looking for the hard calcium that starts to form on the walls of your arteries.
2) Cardiac Ultrasound. My insurance picked this up 100% because we have already met our max out of pocket (wife's chemo), so I am not sure the cost on this. It takes 30 minutes and you get the results on your next visit. This is the best way to see what is going on with the heart and all related arteries and muscles. It measures the size of the arteries, blood flow through the arteries, and valves.
This is all I have done so far. I have the stress test and blood work in 2 weeks. I will post an update after I have done those tests and received results.
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