February is Heart Month and the best gift you can give yourself and those you love is an investment in your heart’s health.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It’s a silent disease that can often go undiagnosed and therefore untreated. Better Life Carolinas is committed to providing the highest quality of preventive wellness care, and knowing where you stand with some simple screening and testing is a great start.
CIMT scan
At Better Life Carolinas, we use the CIMT scan for all of our screenings. This quick and simple test could save your life. The great news is that cardiovascular disease is preventable. If you lead an overall healthy lifestyle, you are typically much less likely to develop this disease. A healthy lifestyle includes doing things like eating right, watching your weight and salt intake and exercising habitually, among other things. By making these changes, you can significantly lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The CIMT scan is a completely non-invasive test that analyzes the development of vascular plaque and the thickening of the arterial walls to evaluate a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Unlike a cholesterol level assessment, these two factors have an 88 to 92% chance of indicating heart disease. If you are identified as high risk, you can work with our team to determine the necessary changes required to improve your health, ultimately lowering your risk.
The CIMT scan is done in the comfort of our office, and it usually only takes about 10 minutes to complete. No X-rays are necessary and state-of-the-art imaging techniques are used.
Omega-3 Testing
The Omega-3 Blood Test measures fatty acids which are important for heart health and a number of other health benefits. Omega-3 can help lower triglycerides and raise HDL, which helps reduce a person’s risk for heart disease and cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke. It can also reduce inflammation caused by arthritis, boost the effectiveness of depression medication, aid in the healthy development of infants and help lower the risk of disorders such as Alzheimer’s or dementia. Omega-3 is not produced by the body and instead comes from food, primarily fish, or dietary supplements.
VO₂ Max Assessment
For heart-healthy patients, VO₂ Max level Assessment can be an integral part of helping you achieve your highest potential of fitness. This important exercise metric also helps our specialists teach you how to work out as efficiently as possible.
The VO₂ Max is the maximum amount of oxygen that you can utilize during intense exercise. VO₂ Max is an important determining factor of your ability to perform prolonged, intense exercise, and is a good indicator of overall cardiovascular fitness. This is because the more oxygen that your body can use to fuel high-intensity exercise, the more efficiently your body can produce energy.
After your screenings at our office in Charleston or Charlotte, our experienced team of professionals will go over the results with you. If you have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, we will work with you to come up with a plan of action to reverse the risks and get you back on a heart-healthy path.
Dr. Mickey Barber was CEO/CMO of Cenegenics Carolinas for ten years and founded Better Life, an Age Management and Wellness Center. She graduated from The College of Charleston, completed medical school at The Medical University of South Carolina, did her residency at Tulane University, and finished her fellowship at Harvard. She also was an assistant professor at Tulane University. Throughout her academic and private practice, she passionately pursued her interest in health, nutrition, exercise, and mind-body medicine. Further studies and certification in Age Management Medicine allow her to combine her unique interests and training to empower her patients to live vigorous, healthy lives at any age. In November 2012, Dr. Barber was awarded the top honor in her field and presented with the Alan P. Mintz Award for Clinical Excellence in Age Management Medicine.
Dr. Barber and her team want you to live your life to the fullest, and we understand that lowering your risk of developing cardiovascular disease plays a huge part. Schedule a free consultation with us to learn more about how the CIMT scan can benefit you. Contact us today to book your appointment!
At Better Life Carolinas, we can help you get back to a better place!