Extend Podcast with Darshan Shah, MD

50. 50% of Heart Disease Is Diagnosed Too Late—Here’s How to Avoid It

Apr 3, 2025

Heart disease is more preventable than most realize, yet it's still the leading cause of death. This discussion dives into essential tests and metrics to protect your heart health. Discover the four critical areas to evaluate: ischemia, blood pressure, electrical function, and cardiac capacity. Learn about underutilized tests like the coronary calcium score and Holter monitors that can signal heart issues long before symptoms arise. If you're over 40 or have risk factors, this is crucial knowledge to safeguard your cardiovascular health.

17:20

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Quick takeaways

Heart disease is often diagnosed too late, making early awareness and proactive testing vital for prevention, especially for those over 40.

Essential tests like coronary calcium scores and VO2 max can reveal heart health risks long before symptoms occur, empowering individuals to take control of their cardiovascular health.

Deep dives

Understanding Heart Disease Risk Factors

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, claiming over 700,000 lives annually in the United States alone. Men tend to experience heart attacks earlier, while women's risk ascends after menopause, often presenting symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath rather than typical chest pains. Awareness of heart disease as a critical health issue is alarmingly low among women, with less than half recognizing it as their primary health threat. This underscores the necessity for both genders, particularly those over 40, to prioritize understanding and addressing their heart health.

Intro

2min

Understanding Heart Disease: Risks, Awareness, and Early Detection

8min

Proactive Heart Health: Essential Tests and Monitoring

7min

Heart disease is still the number one cause of death, yet most people don’t realize how preventable it actually is.

In this solo episode of Extend, I’m kicking off our new series on preventative medicine by breaking down the essential tests and metrics you need to know to protect your heart. I’ll walk you through the four key areas I evaluate in every patient—ischemia, blood pressure, electrical function, and cardiac capacity—and explain how you can assess your own risk starting today.

You’ll also learn about the most underutilized tests in cardiology, including the coronary calcium score, CLEARLY CT angiogram, Holter monitors, and VO2 max. These tools can help you detect heart disease decades before symptoms appear—and long before it's too late.

This episode is your roadmap to taking control of your cardiovascular health, starting now. If you’re over 40 (or even younger with risk factors), this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.

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