Heart is "The Quiet Hero We Often Forget to Protect". Our hearts beat for us every second of our lives so we need to care for this vital organ as much as possible. And yet with our current modern lifestyles, there is often a lot we can do to ensure our heart stays strong and continues to function well to serve us for decades to come! Early issues related to heart health can often go unnoticed and this is why doctors often check heart health proactively using blood tests, by measuring blood pressure or by doing an ECG exam to name the main screening tools.

In this blog post we will explore the key role heart plays in our body, what are some of the common issues related to it and cover the main blood tests which can be used to monitor heart health proactively.

How Heart Plays a Key Role In Our Body

The heart is a strong, muscular organ and its main role is to pump blood throughout our bodies. It works continuously to circulate oxygen-rich blood to tissues and organs while returning oxygen-poor blood to the lungs. The heart contains four chambers (two atria and two ventricles) and a network of valves that ensure blood flows in a controlled, one-way direction. Its rhythm and contractions are regulated automatically by an internal electrical conduction system.

This main heart function has a key impact on our overall health and on our other key body organs. Poor heart function reduces blood flow which means less oxygen and fewer nutrients for our bodies. It can lead to reduced blood flow to our brains causing dizziness or “brain fog”, swelling of kidneys due to water retention and toxins build up, reduced liver blood filtration rate or overall fatigue and low stamina due to insufficient energy supply to our muscles. 

Common Diseases Affecting the Heart

There are several health conditions that affect the heart directly and indirectly. The heart is directly affected mainly by:

1. Hypertension - chronic high blood pressure which overworks the heart is one of the main reasons for heart failure.

2. Coronary Artery Disease -  driven by plague build up in coronary arteries which can reduce blood flow and increases risk of angina and heart attack.

3. Arrhythmia - characterized by irregular heart rhythms which can cause palpitations and affect the heart's pumping efficiency. 

4. Heart attack - a sudden blockage of a coronary artery leading to significant reduction in blood flow to all our organs which can have long lasting or fatal consequences if not treated immediately by qualified doctors.

There are also other conditions our bodies can suffer from which have significant impact on the health of our heart. The main ones include:

1. High levels of LDL (the “bad cholesterol”) and low levels of HDL (the “good cholesterol”). Excess LDL leads to plaque built up in arteries essentially meaning the key vessels are narrower and so the heart has to pump stronger to ensure adequate blood circulation. This can be driven by our diet, genetics, weight, diabetes or thyroid issues and can be screened using Lipid Profile tests.

2. Insulin resistance which causes high levels of blood sugar and if untreated, can lead to pre-diabetes or type-2 diabetes. These in turn can cause blood vessel damage, inflammation or lipid patterns.

3. Chronic Kidney Disease impacts kidney filtering function over time which can lead to poor regulation of blood pressure.

Heart Health Screening and Monitoring

Preventative heart health screening and monitoring involve blood tests, blood test pressure monitoring, ECG and other tests as recommended by specialist heart doctors.

The most common preventative screening blood tests for heart and cholesterol are:

• Lipid profile - measures Total cholesterol, LDL (“bad cholesterol”), HDL (“good cholesterol” and Triglycerides for cholesterol screening.

• FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar) and HbA1C - the main markers for assessing pre-diabetes or diabetes risk that can have a large impact on heart health.

• Often paired also with main kidney (renal) markers such as Creatinine, or Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium) and others as prescribed by your doctor.

There are many other tests often ordered by doctors to further assess heart health risks or used as part of regular motoring of known heart conditions. These can include Thyroid tests or specialized tests like Troponin, Apo-A1 or Apo B for specific acute symptoms monitoring.

Heart Health Tests Available for Home Service by Klaro Health

Klaro Health offers a wide range of key heart health related diagnostic blood tests from the comfort of your home in partnership with licensed laboratories such as Lipid Profile, FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar), HbA1C and many other specialized tests.

There are various screening packages to choose from such as for example a basic Lipid Profile or Basic Chem 11 panel which in addition to a Lipid Profile, also includes Fasting Blood Sugar, HbA1C for basic diabetic risk screening and key liver markers.

In addition to a range of individual tests to select from on the basis of your doctor’s prescription, there is also a specialized Cardiac Profile including markers such as Apo-A1, Apo-B, HsTrop and Lp(A). It is possible to upload doctor's prescription to receive back a link with all tests selected a free price quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the main function of the heart?

The heart’s primary job is to pump blood throughout the body, supplying oxygen and nutrients to organs and muscles as well as enabling removal of waste products by liver and kidneys. 

2. What blood tests help check heart health?

Common heart-related blood tests include:

• Lipid profile for measuring cholesterol levels

• FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar) and HbA1C for assessing risk of diabetes

Troponin, Apo-A1 or Apo-B are  specialty tests ordered by doctors in case of heart injury assessment.

3.How should I prepare for heart blood tests?

Preparation varies by test type, always follow instructions of your doctor and patient preparation guidelines for each test. Common preparation guidelines require fasting for 8-10 hours and avoiding caffeine before tests.

4. How often should I get my heart checked with blood tests? 

It depends on age, family history, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, lifestyle factors and doctor advice. 

Healthy adults 18-39 years old should get tsted minimum once in 3-5 years whereas those aged 40+ or with lifestyle factors such as obesity, smoking, reduced exercise or existing known conditions should get tested once a year or as advised by their doctor.

About Klaro Health

Klaro Health brings accurate, safe and convenient blood testing services to your home in partnership with leading accredited laboratories. 

Klaro Health offers home service that is

Accurate - In partnership with leading accredited labs, using fully automated barcode labelling to eliminate human errors.

Safe - PRC-certified, fully vaccinated and highly trained medical technologists using quality sterile equipment.

Convenient - Quick online booking in 10 minutes, next day home visits as early as 5AM and results delivered to your email within 24 hours for most tests.

Serving customers in Metro Manila, Klaro Health is perfect for families, seniors and anyone with busy schedules - spend less time worrying about early morning lab visits and enjoy more time with your loved ones!

Patients can select from a range of packages and tests on www.klaro.ph or upload a prescription to have the required tests selected by trained medics to receive a free price quote.