TriMomof5 wrote:
Has anyone been to a cardiologist for a heart exam to rule out undetected heart issues that could be aggravated by endurance athletics? Now that I've hit my annual medical plan out of pocket max, I am thinking of making a preventive visit to a cardiologist for a complete heart health exam. I've never been to one and have no idea whether there are cardiologists who specialize in heart health for endurance athletes?
Has anyone had such an exam? If so, please provide guidance on what kind of exam to ask for and what to expect.
Thanks!
Yep.
Before starting my IM training went to primary doc and got him to refer me to a cardiologist.
Echocardiogram
Exercise stress test
Multiple EKGs
Various blood tests
Expect it to have a cost associated with it.
Expect to be at the cardiologist with many older and overweight people looking at you strangely, presumably wondering why you are there.
Expect the stress test tech to ask you if you are going to break her treadmill.
Expect the whole process to take multiple appointments for the testing and discussion of results (maybe co-pays for you)?
In the end, if everything is fine, expect to have an added sense of calm about your health, especially if you have a history of heart disease in your family. It's not a guarantee there's nothing wrong with your ticker, but it does rule out many things. Worst case, you get a baseline for use later in life.
Good luck.