The Checkup Archive: screening

Healthy adults getting unneeded heart screenings

But a report issued this morning by Consumer Reports shows that a whopping 44 percent of healthy adults (those who have no history of heart disease and who have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels) have had heart-health screening procedures that they didn't really need. The report also notes that few of us question the need for screening, whether by blood-pressure check, EKG, or C-reactive protein test. And still fewer of us seem to care about the potential risks of such screenings, which include unneeded followup screenings, tests and treatments.

By Jennifer LaRue Huget  | February 3, 2011; 6:00 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (6)
Categories:  Cardiovascular Health, Chronic Conditions, medical costs, screening  
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