Whether you’ve recently suffered a heart attack, have been diagnosed with a heart condition such as congestive heart failure, or you have a family history of heart disease and are concerned about future problems, you should adequately prepare for your doctor or cardiology appointment to ensure you come away with the right answers, tests and plan in place for your particular cardiovascular situation. Answers will help you better educate yourself on your particular condition so you will better understand what you can do to help improve your quality of life. We’ve compiled some important questions that should be on your list to ask the heart specialist about your situation, let’s take a look by category:
About Your Disease:
- What is my exact cardiovascular diagnosis?
- What is the prognosis for my condition and what kinds of things can better the outlook?
- Where on the spectrum of severity does my condition fall? Mild, moderate or severe?
- How will my family history impact my current diagnosis? Am I in a higher risk category that will require closer monitoring?
- Was my condition caused by lifestyle factors or genetics?
If You’ve Had Surgery:
- What will recovery entail?
- How long until I can resume my normal activities?
- Were medication-releasing or medication-dependent stents put in place?
- Are there any post-surgical complications I should be on the look out for?
- Will my heart problems be better because of surgery, or will I need more work done?
Diagnostic Tests
- What tests should be done from here? Do I have to fast before any of these?
- How frequently should I check my blood pressure at home or have cholesterol tested?
- Do I need an annual checkup with my cardiologist or an annual stress test?
- What further testing do you have in mind to monitor my condition?
- Do I need regular EKGs?
Fitness:
- What activity level can my heart handle? Are there any specific exercises I should avoid, such as heavy lifting?
- Will my heart condition affect my sex life?
- What symptoms should I watch out for while doing activity?
- How long should I strive to exercise daily with my condition?
- Am I overweight or obese? Is there a target weight I should aim for?
That concludes part 1, stay tuned for the next 20 important questions to ask your cardiologist next! Thanks for visiting DocChat.
Check out our previous Heart Matters features:
Part 1 – Facts and Figures
Part 2 – Ticker Friendly Diet
