Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken is a pacesetter for health and wellness in the city — from hosting fitness challenges to championing community assets like the city’s bike trail system.
He hopes to promote healthy habits by example and recently completed a Planet Heart screening through Avera Health to check in on his heart health.
Why are Cardiovascular Screenings Important?
Regular checkups and preventive screenings are key to catching health concerns early on.
“I do regular physicals every year. I go to the dentist every six months. This is no different,” said TenHaken. “You can’t know too much about your own health.”
Being proactive about heart health can lower your risk of heart attack or stroke. That’s why cardiovascular screenings are recommended for:
- Men ages 40 or older
- Women ages 45 or older
- People with a family history of heart disease
“If heart disease is the No. 1 killer of men and women, what’s an hour of your time worth to come and get a screening to know where you stand on the most vital organ in your body? It’s such a no-brainer,” said TenHaken.
Screenings are designed to help you understand your individual risk before experiencing symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
“One of the reasons people don’t seek care for heart attacks is denial,” said Katie Krause, RN. “For example, people will get chest pressure and need to stop to catch their breath when they climb the grain bin or move sheet rock at their construction site. The symptoms go away when they rest, so they dismiss the warning signs.”
Those people often go to the ER later when their arteries are blocked due to plaque rupture — a clot forms and occludes the artery.
In addition to providing a baseline for cholesterol levels and finding hard calcium or blocks in major arteries, the screenings have resulted in hundreds of findings that aren’t heart related.
“When we scan, a portion of the lungs gets overread by radiologists, who can sometimes catch if you have an abnormality,” said Bridget Weisz, a CT technologist.
That was the case with TenHaken’s friend, who had a finding thanks to a Planet Heart screening. The experience inspired TenHaken to follow suit in first getting screened and helped motivate this return visit.
What Do Planet Heart Screenings Involve?
Mayor TenHaken’s visit to Planet Heart in Sioux Falls involved the same quick steps that occur nearly 20 times a day at this location near the Avera Heart Hospital.
His heart and vascular appointment included a:
- Calcium score CT
- Tests for blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure
- Carotid and aortic ultrasounds
- Peripheral vascular screening
- Personalized guidance based on results
