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Indians face a heightened risk of blocked arteries, often silently progressing into Coronary Artery Disorder (CAD) and potential heart attacks. Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr. Jeremy London recommends early detection via four non-invasive tests. Due to smaller body surface areas, Indians tend to have narrower coronary arteries, increasing blockage risk. Dr. London suggests regular blood pressure check-ups, advanced blood panels for hidden risks (beyond standard cholesterol tests), DEXA scans to measure dangerous visceral fat, and VO2 Max tests to assess cardiovascular efficiency. These tests help identify early signs of artery blockage and lower cardiovascular risks.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
The smaller body surface area of Indians leads to smaller coronary artery dimensions. Narrower the arteries, higher the risk of early blockage. But the worst part is, blocked artery symptoms aren’t easy to identify. Eating clean, following a healthy lifestyle aren’t enough. However, certain symptoms can be identified through standard medical tests. In a recent video Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr Jeremy London shared 4 tests that can help identify blocked arteries and lower the risk of Cardiovascular complications. Take a look..
Dr Jeremy explains blood pressure gets easily modified by lifestyle changes. According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), only 12% of the Indian population have blood pressure under control. High blood pressure is a ‘silent killer’ that increases the risk of blocked arteries as it damages the artery walls and leads to the accumulation of fatty deposits. Tracking blood pressure is critical for early detection and can lower the risk of blocked arteries.
Advanced Blood Panel can detect hidden risks
An Advances Blood Panel goes beyond the standard blood tests. It is a set of blood tests that identifies the hidden dangers of Atherosclerosis or Plaque build-up in the arteries. While a basic blood panel usually checks cholesterol and sugar, an Advances Blood Panel goes beyond that and may reveal number and type of cholesterol particles, inflammation in blood vessels and blood clotting tendency. Researchers have found, even if cholesterol numbers are low, one can still develop blocked arteries that lead to the risk of heart attack.
Visceral fat or the ‘dangerous’ fat around internal organs of the abdominal area is a risk factor for Artery Blockage. Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr London describes Visceral fat as ‘an engine for inflammation’. The third test Dr London recommends is DEXA scan or the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. DEXA Scan reveals the level of Visceral fat in the body. Identification of Visceral fat is crucial as it secretes inflammatory proteins into the bloodstream that damage the Endothelium, the inner lining of arteries.
The fourth test Dr London recommends and describes as the most powerful determinants of longevity is the VO2 Max Test. This Maximum Oxygen Uptake test measures Cardiovascular efficiency and reflects aerobic fitness. While athletes are familiar with the VO2 test, Cardiologists too, are recommending this test, as early signs of a low VO2 max can lead to artery blockage. See more: Heart health: Doctor shares five ways to strengthen the arteries naturally
