As a rule of thumb, I would urge you to undergo a screening for silent ischemia if you have any three of these factors working against you - a man over age 50 who smokes, or a post-menopausal woman with a ten-year history of diabetes and chronic unfavorable blood cholesterol levels, for instance.
The screening for undetected ischemia is a medical history and physical examination and a cardiac stress test - a workout on a treadmill while your heart function is monitored.
It's a simple, painless and inexpensive way to learn whether the beating of your heart is accompanied by the inaudible ticking of an atherosclerosis time bomb that could kill you.
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