You probably know that heart attacks are the #1 cause of death annually in the US and around the world. So predicting your risk of having one seems pretty important. But don’t ask your MD. You won’t get much actionable information there. And if they do have an offer, it’s to take prescription statin drugs. This is not a good strategy.
You are at higher risk of heart attack if:
- You are overweight
- You have high blood pressure
- You have diabetes
- You smoke
You should also know that your risk increases if:
- You eat non-organic foods
- You eat processed foods
- You are under lots of stress
- You don’t get eight hours of quality sleep per night
- You don’t get adequate sunshine
- You live in a home with water damage
Another MAJOR risk factor is aches and pains. Yes, if you have pain, you have inflammation. And if you have inflammation, you are at a higher risk of a heart attack.
Best Tests of Heart Attack Risk
There are many blood tests to assess your inflammation. Things like hs-CRP and PLA2 are excellent. Markers of oxidative stress, such as MPO and oxLDL, are helpful.
What doesn’t help predict your risk are stress tests and CT scans. Stress tests are for people with symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath. If you don’t have those symptoms, stress testing is useless. CT scans to detect coronary artery disease DO offer risk prediction, but at a cost. The cost is damaging radiation. The other problem with CT is that changes in coronary artery disease take a long time to happen. Checking a CT scan now and again in 2 years doesn’t help.
The best way to check your heart attack risk is an at home urine test. And based on the results, you make the necessary changes. Then, you can re-test in as little as 2-3 months to make sure your changes are working.
So based on the above, this is why we recommend the Heart Attack Risk Test (HART). Get the answers you need to avoid a heart attack.
Click HERE to learn your risk and get on track for the 100 Year Heart.
