Introduction
Most heart attacks and strokes don’t arrive without warning—they develop silently over years, often a decade or more, before the first symptom appears. The encouraging truth is that up to 80% of cardiovascular events are linked to modifiable factors, this means that if you take action you can drastically reduce your risk. At Emerald, we believe that heart disease isn't an inevitability of ageing; it is a process that can be identified and intercepted long before it reaches a crisis point.
Know Your Numbers: The Foundation of Prevention
Tracking specific biomarkers from your twenties onwards is the most reliable way to detect heart risk. These measurements reveal the "silent phase" of disease—the microscopic changes happening inside your blood vessels years before you feel a single twinge of discomfort.
Blood Pressure: Consistent readings above 135/85 mmHg indicate hypertension. This pressure silently fatigues artery walls, yet many feel perfectly healthy until a major event occurs.
The Lipid Profile:We look beyond basic cholesterol. While LDL (the "bad" kind) deposits plaque, we also include HDL "good" cholesterol, Triglycerides and ApoB to understand the actual density of particles circulating in your bloodstream, your genetic predispositions and much more.
Metabolic Markers: Fasting glucose and HbA1c serve as early warning signals. Even mildly elevated blood sugar "caramelises" vessel walls over time, significantly increasing the likelihood of heart failure.
Get all the above tested and more at our comprehensive health assessment, available at 50+ clinics nationwide. Our philosophy focuses on the "Goldilocks Zone" of data: enough information to be dangerous to the disease, but not so much that it creates "data anxiety." For most, a comprehensive check every one to five years provides the clinical insight needed to maintain a solid foundation.
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Can a scan help assess my heart health?
For some, a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) score can be a game-changer. It reclassifies your risk entirely, helping us decide whether preventive medications like statins are a necessary clinical backstop or if lifestyle optimisation remains the primary focus.
It does have drawbacks, however; specifically, the scanner is blind to "soft" (non-calcified) plaque. This is the early-stage, fatty buildup that hasn’t yet mineralised. Because soft plaque is more unstable and prone to rupture than hardened calcium, a score of zero—while highly reassuring—isn't an absolute guarantee of a clean bill of health, particularly in younger patients.
Despite this, the CAC score is an invaluable "tie-breaker" for those in the intermediate-risk category. It is particularly effective for:
The Borderline Case: If your cholesterol is slightly elevated but your lifestyle is excellent, a CAC score reveals whether your arteries are actually being impacted.
The Family History Factor: If heart disease runs in your family, this test identifies if you have inherited a "fast-forward" button on arterial ageing.
The Statin Decision: For those hesitant about medication, seeing a physical measurement of plaque provides the objective evidence needed to move from guesswork to a confident clinical strategy.
The Emerald Perspective: Bridging the Implementation Gap
Discovering risk is only half the battle. At Emerald, our thesis is simple: "Preventive medicine is easy; behavioural change is incredibly hard". Knowing you should exercise more is common sense, but actually doing it amidst a busy life is where strategy is required.
We bridge this gap through a tiered intervention ladder:
Live View Monitoring: We leverage wearables to track your activity and recovery. This isn't data for data’s sake; it’s a real-time pulse on your cardiovascular resilience and much more.
Professional Coaching: Our coaches help you implement sustainable patterns, such as the Mediterranean or DASH diets. We aim for "physiological wins," such as restoring aerobic function by up to 40% through specific exercise protocols.
Clinical Backstops: If lifestyle markers aren't moving the needle, our CQC-registered GPs provide prescriptions and specialist referrals to ensure your risk is mitigated pharmacologically while you work on the foundations.
The Emerald Perspective: We don't want to over-investigate "noise" that has no clinical significance. By anchoring your health journey in periodic, high-quality data and professional coaching, we replace "unknown worry" with a clear, actionable strategy.
Longevity starts with awareness
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Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
While we focus on the silent phase, you must remain literate in your body's real-life clues. Subtle symptoms can be early signs of a heart struggling to maintain circulation:
Atypical Discomfort: Tightness or jaw pain, particularly in women or those with diabetes, rather than the classic "clutching-at-chest" scenario.
Reduced Tolerance: Finding usual distances or stairs suddenly harder, or experiencing unexplained fatigue.
Fluid Retention: Swelling in the ankles or waking up short of breath can be early signs of heart failure.
If you have a family history—a first-degree relative with a heart attack before 55 (men) or 65 (women)—your genetic background means your health approach needs even closer management.
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