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Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) – The facts

Coronary Heart disease is the most common cause of premature death in the UK with almost 2.6 million people having heart and circulatory disease in the UK.

It is an astonishing fact that in the UK, someone has a heart attack every 2 minutes and in around 30% of heart attacks, the patient dies.

What Causes Coronary Heart Disease?

In people with coronary heart disease (CHD), a build up of fatty deposits of cholesterol and waste substances causes the coronary arteries to narrow and restricting blood flow. Over time, the arteries may become so narrow that they can't deliver enough oxygen to the heart. This can lead to pain or discomfort in your chest when you exert yourself, for example, when you exercise, walk up stairs or are under stress. Your doctor will call this angina.

Unfortunately, for some people, the first indication that something's wrong is a heart attack. A heart attack happens when a blood clot suddenly and completely blocks one of the arteries around the heart, cutting of the blood supply and starving it of the oxygen it needs to keep working. Without urgent medical treatment, this can cause permanent damage to the heart and sudden death.

The major factors which can increase the risk of developing CHD include;

  • High Cholesterol Levels
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • A family history of heart disease
  • Smoking, obesity and a physically inactive lifestyle

What can I expect from a Superdrug Healthy Heart Screening Program?

The purpose of the program is to screen people who are not currently on medication for conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure but may be at risk of developing coronary heart disease due to family history or lifestyle.

A number of tests are performed depending on the screening program selected. These are fed into a computer program which can assess the likelihood of you developing coronary heart disease over the next 10 years if you make no changes to your current lifestyle. With the aid of the computer program our highly trained nurses or pharmacists can work with you to understand how simple lifestyle changes can improve the outcome.

There are three programs

  • Bronze which includes the following tests
  • BP (Systolic and Diastolic measurements)
  • Total Serum Cholesterol – mmol/l
  • HDL Cholesterol – mmol/l
  • Glucose
  • BMI
  • Body Fat Percentage
  • Lifestyle assessment

Is there an age limit?

This screening is available to those who are 18 years of age or older

How much does it cost?

  • Bronze – This costs £20 and takes approximately 20 mins

Click here to find and get directions to Superdrug Pharmacies offering this service