Bloomington Public Health Hosting Risk Assessment Clinic

Edina residents curious about their risk for developing heart disease can get tested Tuesday morning, June 14, at Bloomington Public Health's semi-regular Health Risk Assessment Clinic.

The clinic will be held from 7:30-10 a.m. Tuesday, though residents have to call ahead for an appointment at 952-563-8900.

Three types of tests will be available at the clinic, including: cholesterol only ($20), a lipid profile ($25) and total blood chemistry ($40). A nutrition education session will also be available during the clinic hours. 

A cholesterol test estimates a person's risk of developing heart disease, and can be tested alone or in combination with other tests that include HDL, LDL and triglycerides.

Bloomington Public Health provides services including health education and promotion, communicable disease prevention programs, public health nursing services, home health visits, maternal and child health services, health assessments and public health emergency preparedness to Edina residents.

Certain risk factors put an individual at a greater risk for heart disease. Some of these factors can be modified or changed, some cannot.

Factors that cannot be changed

• Age. 84 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 years of age or older. Women who have heart attacks at an older age are more likely than men to die from them within a few weeks.
• Male sex (gender). Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women do and they have attacks earlier in life.
• Heredity (including race). Heart disease runs in the family; if your parents had heart disease, you are more likely to develop it.

Factors that can be changed

• Smoking. Cigarette smoking is the biggest risk factor for heart disease; smokers have about twice the risk of nonsmokers.
• High blood cholesterol. As blood cholesterol rises, so does the risk of coronary heart disease. A diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat will lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease.
• High blood pressure. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder, increasing your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure.
• Physical inactivity. People who are not active have a greater risk than people who exercise regularly. Get active!
• Obesity and overweight. Excess weight increases the heart's work. It also raises blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels.
• Diabetes mellitus. Diabetes increases your risk of developing heart disease. If you have diabetes, it is extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and lower any risk factors you can.