HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – You may not know you have a heart condition until it’s too late, but a Hastings doctor has a way to help prevent the ‘silent killer’ from striking you down.
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. About 647,000 people die from heart disease every year, coming out to one in every four deaths.
But about a third of them can be prevented.
“Heart disease and heart attacks, those are very silent killers,” said Dr. Chris Murray, Murray Natural Health & Chiropractic. “In fact one of the first symptoms of a heart attack is actually death. So it’s kind of important to actually screen for those things.”
In honor of Heart Month, Murray Natural Health & Chiropractic is offering free heart screenings.
Murray will do an ankle-brachial index test, which compares the blood pressure measured in your ankle to the blood pressure measured in your arm. A low reading in your ankle can indicate blockage in your arteries.
He’ll also check your weight, height, BMI, oxygen levels and resting EKG.
These tests can help identify risk factors for heart conditions that you may not be aware of, like high blood pressure and abnormal circulation or pulse rates.
“Ninety percent of all cardiovascular disease causes have some sort of preventable factor associated with them. So there’s just so much that people can do. That’s why it’s always best to aggressively prevent any condition. You’d much rather prevent heart disease than treat heart disease,” Murray said.
Eating healthy and exercising regularly are also good ways to keep your heart healthy.
Murray said it’s a good idea to get a heart screening at least once a year, but if cardiovascular diseases run in your family you should be one more often.
Murray Natural Health & Chiropractic will offer the free heart screenings through the end of February.