Understanding Your Heart Health Reports: A Patient’s Guide

During your heart health checkup you may usually receive a detailed report with medical jargon written in it, filled with numbers, acronyms and codes. This is a very valuable communication tool for physicians and, if you are a patient, could feel quite overwhelming! Understanding the basic information contained within your report can help you take better control of your heart health and make informed decisions with your health care provider.

This blog will explain important parts of your heart report, and what they mean as simply as possible!

Why Heart Health Reports Matter

Despite being one of the biggest causes of death worldwide, the good news is that heart disease is largely  preventable. Prioritizing regular heart checkups will identify risks long before any symptoms develop.

A heart health report won’t be considered a simple pass or fail result; it will be a quick overview  of how your heart is functioning and how likely you are to be at risk. Knowing what your report means will help you take steps to protect your heart and your health overall.

Decoding Common Sections of a Heart Report

A usual heart wellness report will usually contain results from a variety of tests that measure your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, electrocardiogram data and more. Here’s a look at what each means: 

Cholesterol Profile

This part of the report will typically include total cholesterol, as well as LDL (low-density lipoprotein), HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and triglycerides. LDL is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol and HDL is the “good” cholesterol. High levels of LDL can create plaque in arteries, while high levels of HDL are protective against plaque build-up. Triglycerides, the fat found in the blood, can cause heart disease if their levels are elevated as well.

Knowing these values is important because unhealthy levels of cholesterol do not often cause any noticeable symptoms. When high levels of LDL or triglycerides are identified, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet, exercise or medications.

Blood Pressure Readings

Your report could very well show systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic is the top number from your blood pressure test and it shows your pressure when your heart beats. Diastolic is the bottom number that shows your pressure when your heart is resting in between beats. The ideal reading is around 120/80 mmHg.

Chronic high blood pressure can cause damage to your blood vessels silently. Patients can have high blood pressure for years and are completely unaware of the risks to their health in relation to a potential heart attack or stroke. Therefore, even if the numbers are a little above the ideal range, you should keep this in mind.

ECG and ECHO Findings

An ECG tests the electrical conductivity of your heart and also helps identify abnormal rhythms, evidence of a prior heart attack, or structural defects. An ECHO provides a picture of how your heart is functionally and structurally. 

If your report lists terms like “left ventricular hypertrophy” or “ejection fraction“, don’t be alarmed , these are measurements of how well your heart is pumping blood. Your physician will interpret these relative to your health history.

Blood Sugar Levels and HbA1c

While not always directly associated with a heart test, blood sugar readings are often included in a checkup aimed at prevention, primarily for the sake of identifying diabetes, which is a huge risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Your fasting blood glucose and HbA1c (the average of blood sugar over 3 months) provide you information about how your body is managing sugar, with high levels indicating that you need to act quickly to change your lifestyles or initiate treatment.

Reading Beyond the Numbers

Although test results can really be gripped by numbers, heart health reports are not solely numerical values. Heart health reports comment on your whole life. They represent your lifestyle, your nutrition, activity level, stressors/aches and family history. Being borderline does not mean something is wrong, but being at the borderline point means you need to pay attention.

A modestly raised LDL in an otherwise healthy, active person may not be a problem  but rather a red flag when it is someone who smokes and with high blood pressure. Your report needs to be discussed with your doctor as it is very important when reviewing your report.

When to Take Action 

Regardless of whether your results seem normal, you should continue to monitor periodically. Your heart health can change because of aging, weight fluctuations, lifestyle habits or even stress.

If anything in your report doesn’t make sense to you or seems abnormal, feel free to ask questions. An engaged healthcare provider should help you understand the meaning and develop a plan specifically for you.

Oftentimes small adjustments can lead to major differences such as walking for 30 minutes a day or focusing on whole/fresh food instead of processed food. Your report can be the blueprint for those adjustments. 

Understanding your heart health results is the beginning, not the end. The numbers can certainly inform you, but what matters most is what you do with that knowledge.

Your report may only be a nudge toward healthier behaviours, or a wake-up call to make some changes, but it’s valuable nonetheless! And, with the right guidance and commitment, you can keep your heart healthy and strong for many more years. If you’re looking for the best cardiologist in Chennai, visiting Sugam Hospital will be your one stop solution.