subject: How An Executive Physical Can Save Christmas [print this page] How An Executive Physical Can Save Christmas
According to CNN, the day after Christmas is historically one of the most dangerous days of the year for people vulnerable to cardiac problems, including heart attacks, arrhythmias, and heart failure. Perhaps a concierge doctor for Christmas will do the trick to bring these numbers down? A yearly executive physical offered by concierge doctors might make the difference between life and death.
In the same CNN article it states that many of these so-called Merry Christmas coronaries will hit people who didn't even realize they were at risk when they unwrapped their gifts the day before. Cardiac problems are incredibly common, and incredibly under-diagnosed. Coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac arrest are linked indiscriminately, and for many adults the risk factors and symptoms go undiagnosed until it's too late. And, unfortunately for many, that "too late" mark usually sneaks up on the day after Christmas.
Whether it's because all patients put off seeing their family physician during the holidays, because hospital staffing changes, or because the holiday stress becomes too much, or because people tend to drink more, heart-related deaths increase by 5% during the Christmas season. Fortunately for patients of a concierge medicine, a concierge physician is always just a phone call away.
Excessive drinking during the holidays can be a huge trigger for cardiac arrest. Alcohol can cause atrial fibrillation, a form of irregular heartbeat, which, if left untreated of even a short amount of time, can lead to cardiac arrest.
Another trigger for cardiac arrest during the holidays is the change in weather. When the temperature begins to cool down, blood vessels tend to constrict which raises overall blood pressure. When families travel to visit others in colder temperatures, unfortunately if their already at risk for cardiac arrest those risk factors shoot through the roof.
An even bigger culprit in the risk for holiday heart-attacks is the over-indulgence of food and break in good dieting habits. According to CNN, patients with heart failure who are following a low-sodium diet need to exercise extra caution this Christmas. Heavy means, too much salt, and excess alcohol can all exacerbate heart failure.
"Doctors need to make a point of telling their patients not to overindulge," the featured physician told CNN.com. "Ultimately, though, it's the patients who are going to decide what to do."
Identifying the risk factors for cardiac arrest is key to preventing the Merry Christmas coronaries. An executive physical offered by concierge physicians will reduce the probability of having a heart-attack by simply determining if you are at risk. An executive physical includes a thorough history and physical exam, extensive review of all medical records, comprehensive labs, resting EKG, and much more. Ultimately, studies have shown that nearly 50% of concierge medicine patients indentified as having risk factors for a serious condition. Five-percent of executive physical patients were diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening disease.
Concierge physicians focus on preventative medicine, taking risk factors, medical records, and more into consideration to provide overall wellness and proactive lifestyle changes, taking away risk factors for the Merry Christmas heart-attack.
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