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• Standard testing at your primary care doctor can evaluate your heart health.
• With screening and lifestyle changes, it’s possible to improve your heart health.
• Experts share top preventive heart screenings to prioritize in 2024.

As 2024 approaches and you think about goals related to wellness, it’s a good time to prioritize your heart health.

Screenings are the best way to evaluate your heart, said Dr. Christopher Tanayan, sports cardiologist at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital.

“Particularly for those who are [over] 35 years old and have strong family history of heart disease,” he told Healthline.

However, heart screening may be different for different subgroups of the population.

“For instance, heart screening of competitive athletes may involve tests like an ECG and echo with a different set of criteria whereas someone who is generally healthy getting into their midlife years may just need bloodwork,” said Tanayan.

7 preventative heart screenings to get in 2024

Not sure which screenings make the most sense for you? Experts break down the top seven.

Medical history

Your primary care doctor, internist or general practitioner will gather a medical history, which includes your family history of medical conditions and your lifestyle practices, such as diet, exercise, and substance use.

“This is probably the most basic but most cost-effective screening tool we have because it’s (a) cheap (b) easy to perform (c) non-invasive, no blood draws and (d) provides so much insight to clinicians on what’s the next best step,” said Tanayan.

For instance, if you smoke, Dr. Roger Blumenthal, spokesperson for the AHA and director of the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, said your doctor will prioritize guidance on helping you quit.

“We try to use nicotine replacement therapy like patches or gum or medications like bupropion and varenicline. Also, behavior modification plays a key role,” he said.

Body weight and BMI

By measuring your waist circumference and body mass index (BMI), your doctor can gauge if you have overweight or obesity, which increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, and more.

“BMI [is a] non-invasive measurement during an office visit,” said Tanayan. “Losing weight significantly impacts blood pressure control, sleep apnea, insulin resistance, ability to exercise.”

Blood pressure reading

High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Because high blood pressure often doesn’t have any symptoms, many people don’t know they have it until they are monitored for it.

The American Heart Association (AHA) states that people whose blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, should get it checked at least once every two years, starting at age 20. Those who have blood pressure higher than that should talk to their doctor about having it checked more often. Your doctor can check your blood pressure or you can check it at home.

Lifestyle changes and medication can help control blood pressure.

Fasting lipoprotein profile

This blood test is taken to measure total cholesterol, which includes LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol.

“Everybody should have their cholesterols checked at least once a year after a certain age. Normal LDL or bad cholesterol would be less than 100 and the same with triglycerides, which are the blood fats,” said Blumenthal.

The test is also important for detecting genetic abnormalities in cholesterol metabolism and the results provide target threshold numbers for treatment, said Tanayan. Lifestyle changes and medication are used to treat high cholesterol.

This test is taken every four to six years, starting at age 20 or more often for people at an increased risk for heart disease or stroke.

Blood glucose test

High blood sugar levels increase your risk of developing insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, which can all lead to heart disease and stroke, if they are not treated. Specifically, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves that control the functioning of your heart.

One way to screen for type 2 diabetes is by measuring hemoglobin A1c levels (A1c %) in your blood. Diabetes is determined with an A1c level of 6.5% or higher.

Risk scores

Blumenthal said the AHA just released a new risk calculator called PREVENT that estimates the 10- and 30-year risk of total cardiovascular disease for people aged 30 years and older. The calculator estimates the risk of heart attack, stroke and, for the first time, heart failure. In the past, physicians would calculate risk for heart attack and stroke only.

“Congestive heart failure is many times more common than the risk of a heart attack or stroke,” said Blumenthal.

The AHA states that the calculator was created based on health information from more than 6 million adults, including people from diverse racial and ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.

Coronary artery calcium scan

For some people who are at least 35 years old and have at least two risk factors for heart disease, their doctor might recommend a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test, which determines how much plaque is in your heart arteries. This involves a CT scan of the heart that takes images of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The test helps a doctor determine a person’s risk of heart disease.

“[It’s] really for people who are on the fence about whether or not to add a medication, generally for cholesterol but sometimes for blood pressure control,” said Blumenthal.

The test is appropriate for the following people, according to the AHA.

• Those who are hesitant to go on statin therapy and want to have a clearer understanding of their risk and potential benefit from medication.
• People who stopped statin therapy due to side effects but are considering taking them again.
• Men ages 55 to 80 or women 60 to 80 who don’t have many risks and want to know if statin therapy will be beneficial.
• People ages 40 to 55 with an estimated 10-year risk for developing heart disease between 5% and 7.5%, and risk factors that increase their chances of heart disease.

Improve your heart health with the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8

To keep your heart healthy, the AHA recommends the following eight health behaviors and factors, which are the key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.

Having good cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems, said Blumenthal.

1. Eat better by adding in whole foods, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and cooking with olive oil.
2. Move more by getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
3. Quit nicotine in all forms.
4. Get more quality sleep, which can help improve your eating habits, mood, memory, internal organs and more.
5. Manage weight by eating better and exercising more.
6. Maintain healthy cholesterol levels, to lower your chance of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
7. Manage blood sugar to keep from developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
8. Manage blood pressure with lifestyle changes or medications prescribed by your doctor.

• Experts share top preventative cancer screenings to prioritize in 2024.
• Cancer screenings can help detect cancer earlier.
• Your primary care doctor can help determine which screening is best for you based on your age and risk level.

The new year often brings about new health goals, and one goal everyone should consider adding to their list is scheduling screenings for cancer.

“The advantage of regular cancer screening is that cancers that are small and without any symptoms can be found early, when treatment is more successful,” Robert Smith, PhD, senior vice president of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society, told Healthline. “Cancer screening works best when it is done regularly according to the guidelines.”

He said to think of cancer screening as part of your preventive health plan, meaning you should always be current for the cancer screening that is recommended for your gender and age group.

As the medical field continues to understand the importance of screening in regards to improving health, impacting survival, and reducing the number of people who develop late-stage cancer, it will be able to help more people obtain screening earlier, which may impact curative potential of many diseases, said Dr. Ajaz M. Khan chair in the department of medical oncology at City of Hope Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix.

As certain cancers like breast, colon and lung continue to increase, screening becomes more and more critical, he added.

“More importantly, they establish criteria and guidelines that can help determine patients that are at higher risk based upon their age, gender, family, and social history. Early detection of cancers may also help improve survival and offer curative options for treatment,” Khan told Healthline.

The top five cancer screenings to consider in 2024

Health experts say that the top five cancer screenings that should be on your radar in the new year include the following:

Mammogram

A mammogram takes an X-ray picture of the breast, so doctors can analyze the breast for early signs of breast cancer. Getting regular mammograms allows doctors to compare changes in breasts over time, and allows them to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before the cancer can be felt.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends the following guidelines for women at average risk for breast cancer, meaning they don’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, or a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer (such as in a BRCA gene), and have not had chest radiation therapy before the age of 30.

• Women 40 to 44 can start getting annual mammograms.
• Women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
• Women 55 and older can get annual mammograms or choose to get them every other year if they are in good health and expected to live at least 10 more years.

“[In] patients with higher risk, which is dependent upon familial or individual risk, screening may also include [ultrasound and] MRI evaluations,” said Khan.

Cervical cancer screening

The following two tests can help detect cervical cancer early or prevent it. Your doctor can do both tests in the office by collecting cells and mucus from the cervix and the area around it. The sample is then sent to a lab for testing.

• HPV test, which detects the human papillomavirus that can cause cell changes on the cervix. If HPV does not clear on its own, it can cause genital warts and cancer.
• Pap smear looks for cell changes on the cervix that could turn into cervical cancer if left untreated.

“Cervical cancer screening usually begins after the age of 18 and women can obtain a Pap smear evaluation along with testing for HPV DNA in order to assess for higher risk of development of cervical cancer,” said Khan.

Depending on your age, your doctor will determine how often you need these tests.

Colorectal screenings

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that both men and women age 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer. Those older than 75 and those at increased risk for colorectal cancer should talk to their doctor regarding screening.

While there are several screening tests that can detect polyps or colorectal cancer, such as flexible sigmoidoscopy and stool tests, colonoscopy is often used for preventive screening.

During a colonoscopy, a doctor checks the rectum and colon for polyps or cancer by using a flexible, lighted tube. If polyps and cancer are found, the doctor can sometimes remove them during the procedure.

If everything looks normal, your doctor will recommend getting another colonoscopy in 10 years, “but the interval of screening will be dependent upon both individual and familial risk,” said Khan.

Prostate cancer screening

A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test detects PSA, which is a protein made by cells in the prostate gland (both normal cells and cancer cells).

The higher the PSA levels, the higher the chance of having prostate cancer. Doctors vary on when they believe a man needs further testing with some using a PSA cutoff point of 4 ng/mL or higher and others recommending more testing when levels are 2.5 or 3, according to the ACS.

Doctors should talk to men about prostate screening at the following ages, according to guidelines from the ACS:

• 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.
• 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer, such as African American men and men who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65.
• 40 for men with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age.

Lung cancer screening

The USPSTF recommends that people who match the below criteria get lung cancer screening once a year:

• Have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history (for example, one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years), and
• Currently smoke or are a former smoker who quit within the past 15 years, and
• Are between 50 and 80 years old

A low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan is the only recommended screening test for lung cancer. The scan is done quickly and involves an X-ray machine taking images of your lungs.

How can I find screening options?

Typically, your primary care or family doctor will refer you for screening.

“Mammography for breast cancer screening, and low-dose CT for lung cancer screening are performed in an imaging center; colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening is performed in a hospital or outpatient setting, or stool testing is performed at home, and PSA testing can be done in the clinic,” said Smith.

If you’re interested in learning more about screening, reach out to the ACS to understand options for cancer screening and timing of screening, and to find providers who may be offering screening in your area.

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