How often should I get routine heart screening?

There are a lot of questions about whether people should have routine heart screenings. In the past, the recommendation was that men should see a cardiologist (or at least an internal medicine physician with an interest in cardiology) around age 40, and women should see one around age 50. While those guidelines have changed somewhat, it’s still a good idea to make sure someone is monitoring your heart health.

Your cholesterol should be checked beginning around age 25, and your blood pressure should be screened at least once a year if not more often.

If there are any concerns about your heart health, you should see a cardiologist. They can discuss appropriate screening tests and help determine how aggressively you should manage your other risk factors for heart disease.