A heart disease test is something extremely important, and many people may not be aware of just how important getting this test can be. A recent article in the Scotsman noted that there are disturbing new figures showing a rise in deaths from heart disease. Specifically, there’s an increase in coronary heart disease deaths among Scotland’s middle-aged men.

In Scotland, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death. One in four men are killed due to coronary heart disease. This startling figure has been drawing attention to coronary heart disease, and rightfully so. Deaths among men in Scotland who are between 35 and 54 years old have gone up from 60 per 100,000 population in 2003 to 2006’s figure, which is 62 per 100,000 population. The death toll in 2006 was 159, while in 2003 the death toll was 143.

As attention is focused on coronary heart disease, experts are blaming a lack of exercise and obesity for the rise in deaths. Keep Well, a heart disease screening program run by the Scottish Government, might be extended to include 40-year-old men instead of just 45- to 64-year-old men. Men who use the services of Keep Well can take a heart disease test and get health advice if they need it.

In the United States, the figures on heart disease are just as disturbing as they are in Scotland. Heart disease was the leading cause of death in the US as of 2007. In just the United States, heart disease kills one person every 34 seconds.

Take a Heart Disease Test

The situation in Scotland and the figures from the US remind us how important it is to take a heart disease test if you’re at risk. Obesity, smoking and a family history of heart disease are things that can put you at risk for having it. If you are at risk, taking a heart disease test can be very beneficial to you health. HealthCheckUSA offers a heart disease test at several of their laboratory locations across America.

Cardiovascular Disease is Deadly

Cardiovascular Disease, according to the American Heart Association, is the single leading cause of death in America today.  Maintaining good heart health, and thus avoiding cardiovascular disease, is hands down one of the best things a person can do for themselves.

Cardiovascular Disease Testing

HealthCheckUSA’s Heart Check Profile is essential for anyone that is concerned about their cardiovascular health, or for anyone who would like a solid baseline in an effort to maintain their heart health.

The Heart Check Profile is one of the most comprehensive lab tests that you can do to assess your risk for cardiovascular disease.  The Heart Check Profile is a combination of many cardiovascular tests; including the homocysteine test, the highly sensitive C-reactive protein test, the Chem-26 test, and the VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) cholesterol profile.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment

As mentioned above, the Heart Check Profile by HealthCheckUSA is made up of several different and important cardiovascular health lab tests. They are, in more detail, as follows:

• Chem-26 (Master Chemistry) – screens your kidney, liver and heart functions, as well as potassium, calcium, uric acid, electrolytes and iron levels.
• Homocysteine – an amino acid in the bloodstream.  Approximately 20% of people with heart disease have high homocysteine levels.
• Cardio C-Reactive Protein (CRP) – this lab test measures inflammation and helps estimate your risk of having a sudden heart attack.
• VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) – this revolutionary test identifies more than 90% of people at risk for cardiovascular disease.  This cholesterol screen identifies hidden heart disease risks, including hereditary factors.

Cardiovascular Disease:  Start Preventing Today

Go to the Heart Check Profile page on HealthCheckUSA.com, select your preferred location, input information into your client profile, and then make your payment.  In a few days, you will receive a personal requisition form that you take to your selected location where you will have your blood drawn.

In about 10 business days, you will get your results and can start taking the appropriate steps to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Disease prevention Baselines

Disease prevention is more than getting a shot here and there and practicing good hygiene.  It is about screening your health and establishing baselines.  It’s about discussing results of your health screens and health risk assessments with your physician and establishing a wellness plan in order to maintain health and to keep disease away.

First Step to Disease Prevention

One of the first steps of disease prevention is making sure that you are currently disease free and to set up a baseline of your current health.  These checks can be done through various lab tests that check your cardiovascular health, the health of your liver, your sexual health, your thyroid, as well as your risks of acquiring cancer and diabetes.

Disease Prevention Assessment

One way to get a complete picture on what you need to do to prevent diseases is through a health risk assessment.  A health-risk assessment is a complete work-up involving a series of lab tests and health history questions in order to determine your predisposition to disease, as well as your overall general health.

You can then take the health risk assessment to your physician for review.  Your physician will then have all the necessary information to get you on track to better health.

Physicians and Disease Prevention

If you would prefer to have a better understanding of the results of your lab tests and health screens before you go to see your physician, or if you don’t currently have a physician, HealthCheckUSA offers a physician interpretation service.   A board-certified physician, who is affiliated with HealthCheck, can interpret your results for you.  Their interpretation will be provided with 72 hours of the test completion and will be confidential.

You must choose the physician interpretation option before completing your online order.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our friendly customer service representatives.

Wellness Proposal for Good Health

Wellness Proposals are plans put together by corporate wellness providers, such as EmployeeWellnessUSA, that enable a company to determine whether an employee wellness program would work for them. Unfortunately, corporate health trends are going the way increasing care costs and skyrocketing pharmaceutical expenditures. Corporate wellness programs can help reverse these trends.

Wellness Proposal Building Block for Wellness Program

Once a corporation approves a proposal, they begin instituting a wellness program based on their initial proposal that involves health risk assessments, health testing, group exercise, and employee incentives to get healthy.

Wellness programs can be compromised of, but not limited to; dietary advice, weight loss and healthy cooking classes, yoga classes, massage therapists at the workplace, and stress management sessions, they look to an initial proposal to see the directions they need to take. Besides Wellness Proposals, EmployeeHealthUSA.com provides on-site staffing, on-site screening and online scheduling of the health screens.

EmployeeWellnessUSA offers free wellness proposals to help employers help their employees take charge of their health. Once they have discovered how to take charge, HealthCheckUSA can help them manage their health through the offering of low cost, direct to consumer lab tests.

How to Obtain a Free Wellness Proposal

You can get a wellness proposal by contacting an Employee Wellness USA corporate wellness representative. They will ask you all sorts of questions regarding your corporate goals, employee goals, budgets, etc, to assist them in putting together your personalized wellness proposal.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns about your health, or if you just want to get a headstart on your corporate wellness program; contact a representative at HealthCheckUSA and get started right away. The representatives are there to answer any lab test questions that you might have now and in the future.

Ferritin Screening: What is Ferritin

Ferritin, composed of protein and iron, is the storehouse in the body for iron. The doctor will order this test to determine how much iron your body has stored in reserves for future use. This test is usually ordered because the doctor suspects that you have too little iron or you have too much iron in your body – both of which have health risks.

Ferritin Screening: Low Levels of Ferritin

Low levels of ferritin can indicate several different health issues. They can indicate either anemia, restless leg syndrome, or iron deficiency.

Anemia, indicated by low levels of ferritin, can be caused by low levels of iron or a reduction in iron. Symptoms of anemia include mild skin paleness, less pink in the lips and the nail beds, irritability, fatigue and dizziness with a rapid heartbeat. It is very important to have children showing these symptoms to get tested, according to the Nemours Foundation, as anemia can cause developmental delays and behavioral problems.

Ferritin Screening: High Levels of Ferritin

High levels of ferritin can occur in patients with hemochromatosis, inflammation, liver disease, infection, and certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia.

Hemochromatosis is an inherited disease found mostly in Caucasians. Hemochromatosis interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of iron. Over time, there is a buildup of iron in the tissues and organs which can lead to the dysfunction and failure of several organs. Complications of this disease can lead to diabetes, heart failure, heart attack, arthritis and cirrhosis of the liver. Discuss with your doctor the ordering of the ferritin test if you are concerned with this genetic disease.

Ferritin Sreening: How It is Done

The ferritin test is a simple sample test completed by drawing blood from the vein in your arm. If you have any questions about this test or any other lab test we offer, please contact one of our health experts.

What is hereditary hemochromatosis?

Hereditary hemochromatosis, referred to as HH, is a common iron overload genetic disorder. A person with hereditary hemochromatosis absorbs and stores excess amounts of iron in the body. This extra iron settles in the liver, skin, and pancreas and, if left untreated, gradually develops iron deposits that cause organ and tissue deterioration.

What causes hereditary hemochromatosis?

The HFE gene in humans monitors iron absorption; a mutated HFE gene allows too much iron absorbtion and causes hereditary hemochromatosis. People with the hereditary hemochromatosis gene are carriers for the disease. If two carriers have a child, that child will develop hereditary hemochromatosis. Recently, researchers from both the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, discovered that HH is a liver disease. Research lab mice that were genetically engineered to lack HFE only in liver cells showed all the key features of hereditary hemochromatosis.

How common is hereditary hemochromatosis?

Hereditary hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic diseases in the U.S.; almost 1 in 10 American Caucasians carries the gene. Caucasians with ancestry in Northern Europe are most commonly the carriers of the HH gene. Hereditary hemochromatosis is uncommon but still occurs among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos.

What’s the danger of hereditary hemochromatosis?

If left untreated, iron accumulations due to hereditary hemochromatosis could potentially lead to other serious health issues, such as arthritis, liver failure, congestive heart failure, impotence, skin pigmentation, and pancreas damage. Without previous testing for hereditary hemochromatosis, most people are unaware that they have the disease. Most symptoms don’t appear until after about age 30 for men and 50 for women.

Screening for hereditary hemochromatosis is easy.

There is good news, though–testing for hereditary hemochromatosis is painless and simple. A fairly inexpensive, quick cheeck swab test kit you can use at home that will show if you have the mutated HFE gene that results in hereditary hemochromatosis is available from HealthCheckUSA. You shouldn’t take iron supplements until you know your test’s results. If your test’s results do show that you have hereditary hemochromatosis, treatment comes in the form of routine blood removal, usually several times a year.

Health screening: knowledge is power

A health screening could save your life.

That statement might sound alarmist, but it’s true. A good health screening could be a lifesaver for you or your loved ones. The sad fact is that, in today’s medical care landscape, health screenings that were once routine are now rare. Heath screening lab tests isolate health risks like cancer and strokes, and can provide HIV testing and warn of unseen cardiovascular health problems.

How health screening works

“Can a single simple blood test do all that?” you may be asking. It’s true - many simple health screening procedures look like a simple blood test, but the health screening blood sample can pinpoint dozens of risk factors and is quick and easy too.

A health screening produces an easy-to-read report on the health hazards that you’ve decided to test for. Depending on the health risk tests that you select, a health screening can call attention to problems posed by high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, incorrect diabetes management, incomplete nutrition, and many other common issues.

A health screening could have good news, too - maybe that weight gain or diabetes could be held in check by something as easy as more dried fruit in your diet!

Health screening benefits from your health insurance

Although HMOs and insurance companies are reputed to be remarkably tight with a dollar, you might be surprised what kind of preventive medicine (like lab tests and health screening) are covered by your health insurance policy. Don’t wait for crisis to strike - be proactive and check out your health screening coverage. You might be able to get medical tests for a variety of conditions - maybe even a full health screening - without having to carry the cost. HealthCheckUSA does not accept insurance claims, but many health insurers will reimburse you directly for our health screening services.

Employee health screening: on the rise

Companies are starting to get on the health screening bandwagon, too. Employers realize that inadequate workforce health makes for lots of absenteeism, reduced productivity and even death. Employee health screenings cost them upfront, but they realize that this cost is outweighed by the long-term corporate wellness benefits, increased employee loyalty and reduced health insurance premiums.

If you’re not aware of employee health screenings at your workplace, ask your employee wellness program coordinator or HR department. Maybe you can help start an employee health screening program yourself!

The advantages of health screening with HealthCheckUSA

If you elect HealthCheckUSA for a health screening, we hope you’ll find the health screening process enjoyable. Distributed laboratory testing has been our business for 20 years; our health screening services have been mentioned in a variety of national publications, including TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Our health screening and lab test prices are almost always lower than what you’ll see in a doctor’s office or hospital, and our health screening lab partners are accredited professionals located all over the country and in testing pharmacies near you.

Talking to HealthCheckUSA about health screening

Early detection is the differentiating factor for almost all major diseases like heart disease and cancer. Please see our health screening and lab testing information for answers to your health screening questions.