As part of an effort to raise awareness of and detect heart disease long before it requires a visit to the Emergency Room, the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute will offer HeartSmart Screenings for only $25 during February for Heart Month. The new preventative screening program combines a series of tests for advanced detection of cardiovascular health risks into a single visit.

“Arkansas has some incredible cardiovascular resources, but we also have one of the highest rates of heart disease in the country. To combat that, we need to make advanced, preventative screenings more accessible and patient friendly,” said Dr. David Griffin, Chief Medical Officer for the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. “The earlier we can detect signs of heart disease, the more opportunity we have to successfully treat it and the more time patients have to make lifestyle changes that can save their lives.”

Even without obvious symptoms, someone may still be at risk for heart disease. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that roughly half of the men who die suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms. That’s why CHI St. Vincent is making it easy for individuals, even those without health insurance, to get a transparent and affordable assessment of their own heart health. The HeartSmart Screening Program combines basic examinations like a blood pressure evaluation and body mass index with more advanced screenings like a Heart Attack Risk Assessment (ASCVD), Electrocardiography (EKG/ECG) and Cardiac Calcium Scoring CT Scan for the greatest level of insight into an individual's heart health in the least invasive manner.

Details on how to schedule a HeartSmart Screening along with other resources like a free, online heart health risk assessment will be available throughout the month of February at: chistvincent.com/heart