Healthy Heart Affair Offers Free Screenings Thursday | Health

Heart disease is the number one killer among Americans, according to the American Heart Association.

On Thursday, Coliseum Heart Institute will host "A Healthy Heart Affair," offering free screenings and workshops throughout the day to teach you more about your heart health.

They'll offer Ankle Brachial Index and EKG screenings, as well as blood pressure and body mass index tests from 8 a.m. until noon.

Workshops continue through the afternoon until 4 p.m., on topics including diet and exercise.

The event takes place at Mathews Athletic Center at Wesleyan College. To register, call 478-746-4646. You must register ahead of time for the ABI and EKG screenings. 

Dr. Gary Daniel at Heart of Georgia Cardiology, along with other physicians, will perform the screenings.

Dr. Daniel says the Ankle Brachial Index, or ABI, can help determine if you show signs of Peripheral Arterial Disease. It tests your blood pressure in both arms and both legs, looking for an equal reading.

Dr. Daniel says, "What we're looking for are patients who are at risk for Peripheral Arterial Disease. And those are generally patients who have diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, patients who smoke, who are over the age of 65, and patients who have symptoms."

Dr. Daniel says those symptoms can include fatigue or cramping in your legs when you walk.

PAD is the hardening of blood vessels that are located outside the heart and the brain. As they get more and more narrow, Daniel says, it decrease the blood flow to where it needs to go.

He says normal ABI is 1.0 to 1.3, and less than 0.5 is considered severe PAD. A patient can then be at risk for amputation.

Someone with PAD is has 4 to 5 times the risk of having a stroke or heart attack, Daniel says.

An EKG shows your heart rhythm and can show blockages in coronary arteries.

Dr. Daniel says these screenings are a great opportunity to learn more about your health.