INCLUDED IN MEMBERSHIP

Your assessments,
explained.

Membership includes four heart and vascular assessments. Here is what each one is, what it can tell you, and what to expect, in plain language.

Not every test is right for every person.

Your cardiologist recommends each assessment based on your history, symptoms, and risk, following national screening recommendations. Some people will benefit from all four; others from one or two. Inclusion in membership means that when a test is appropriate for you, it is already covered by your annual fee.

Echocardiogram

An ultrasound of your heart.

What it is: A small handheld probe on your chest uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. There is no radiation and nothing enters your body.
What it shows: How strongly your heart pumps, whether the valves open and close properly, and the size and thickness of the heart’s walls, which can show the effects of long-standing high blood pressure.
Why it may be recommended: A prior heart attack or heart procedure, shortness of breath or swelling, a heart murmur, or high blood pressure that has been present for years. It also gives your cardiologist a clear baseline picture to compare with in the future.
What to expect: About 45 to 60 minutes. You lie on your left side while a sonographer moves the probe with a little gel. No special preparation is needed.

Carotid ultrasound

An ultrasound of the arteries in your neck.

What it is: A painless ultrasound of the two carotid arteries, which carry blood from your heart to your brain.
What it shows: Whether plaque (a buildup of cholesterol and other material) has formed in the artery walls, and whether it is narrowing the arteries.
Why it may be recommended: Significant narrowing can raise the risk of stroke. The test is most useful after a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA), with certain symptoms, when your doctor hears an unusual sound over the artery, or when you have known artery disease elsewhere. National guidelines do not recommend it as a routine screening test for everyone.
What to expect: About 20 to 30 minutes, lying down, with gel on your neck. No preparation is needed.

Exercise stress test

How your heart handles exertion.

What it is: You walk on a treadmill that gradually gets faster and steeper while your heart rhythm, blood pressure, and symptoms are monitored. Your cardiologist may add ultrasound pictures before and after (a stress echocardiogram).
What it shows: Whether your heart gets enough blood flow when it works harder, how your blood pressure and rhythm respond, and your exercise capacity. Fitness is one of the strongest measures of long-term health.
Why it may be recommended: Chest discomfort or breathlessness with activity, a change in symptoms after a stent or bypass, or planning a safe, personalized exercise program. It is not recommended as routine screening for low-risk people without symptoms.
What to expect: About an hour in total, with roughly 8 to 12 minutes of walking. Wear comfortable shoes and avoid a heavy meal or caffeine beforehand. Ask whether to take your usual medications that day. You can stop at any time.

Safety: the test is supervised by a trained team with emergency equipment on hand. Serious complications are rare, on the order of 1 in 10,000 tests.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening

An ultrasound of the body’s largest artery.

What it is: A short ultrasound of your abdomen that measures the width of the aorta, the main artery carrying blood from your heart to the rest of your body.
What it shows: Whether part of the aorta has become enlarged (an aneurysm). Aneurysms usually cause no symptoms until they become dangerous, which is why screening matters.
Why it may be recommended: National guidelines recommend a one-time screening for men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Your cardiologist may also recommend it if a close relative had an aneurysm. When found early, an aneurysm can be monitored and treated on a planned basis.
What to expect: About 15 to 30 minutes, lying on your back. You may be asked not to eat for several hours beforehand so the aorta is easier to see.

BEYOND THE INCLUDED ASSESSMENTS

Other tests your cardiologist
may recommend.

These are not included in the membership fee. If one is recommended, your cardiologist will explain why, and the cost will be discussed before it is ordered. Bloodwork may be billed to your health insurance.

Cardiometabolic blood tests

A cholesterol panel plus, where helpful, ApoB (a count of the particles that carry cholesterol), Lp(a) (an inherited risk factor most people need measured only once), average blood sugar (A1c), kidney function and urine protein, liver tests, and inflammation markers. Why they matter

Coronary calcium score

A quick, low-dose CT scan that measures calcified plaque in the heart’s arteries. It can help decide how aggressively to treat cholesterol when your risk is borderline.

Blood-pressure monitoring

A 24-hour wearable cuff or a structured home-reading plan. It gives a truer picture than a single office reading and can reveal blood pressure that is only high in the doctor’s office, or only at home.

Heart-rhythm monitoring

A small adhesive patch worn for one to fourteen days to record your heart rhythm, useful if you have palpitations, dizziness, or fainting.

ECG

A ten-second recording of your heart’s electrical activity, using stickers on your chest. It can show rhythm problems and signs of past heart damage.

Ankle-brachial index

Blood-pressure cuffs on your arms and ankles compare circulation to check for narrowed arteries in the legs.

Sleep apnea testing

An overnight test, often done at home, for pauses in breathing during sleep, which can raise blood pressure and strain the heart.

Coronary CT angiography

A detailed CT scan with contrast dye that shows the heart’s arteries. It is used mainly to investigate chest symptoms.

NEXT STEP

Questions about which tests are right for you?

That is exactly what your first visit is for. Start with an enrollment request and a coordinator will be in touch.

Request enrollment Call (813) 975-2800

Your assessments,explained.