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While many people understand the importance of having an annual physical exam, few people think of having an annual heart exam. But heart disease claims a number of lives each year. Often when heart disease is caught early, it can be treated, and the outcomes are good. Here are some guidelines for scheduling your first heart exam.

* Both men and women need to have annual heart exams. If you have a family history of heart disease, or two more more known risk factors (smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of exercise, or high cholesterol), you should have your first annual exam around age 35 for men, 40 for women. Otherwise, the first annual exam should occur around 40 for men, and at around the time of menopause for women.

* Heart exams should begin with a complete medical history. A general physical exam should be given, including blood pressure and heart rate. Lab tests should include cholesterol and lipid panels, and tests for diabetes. An EKG test should also be conducted. If the EKG machine results show a problem, further testing, including an ambulatory test, a stress test, or heart catheterization may be appropriate.

* Heart exams should be given annually. The best outcomes occur when heart disease is recognized early and treated appropriately.

* Anyone who experiences symptoms that suggest heart disease should seek earlier evaluation, including emergency care if symptoms of a heart attack are present. Symptoms that suggest heart disease include fainting, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, irregular heart beats, rapid heart beats, and discomfort in the chest during activity.

It is important to remember that heart disease does not always give symptoms to warn us that it is present. This is why early and regular testing is important. An EKG machine test is simple, does not take long, and is noninvasive. But the information it provides can save lives, especially when it helps us recognize impending heart disease. While an EKG is an essential tool for providing care for the heart, the information it gives us cannot be evaluated in a vacuum. The EKG machine is just one of the diagnostic tools using in evaluating the condition of the heart and circulatory system.