Don’t Wait for Disease: Why Cardiometabolic Screening Matters

About the Author: Dr. Paula Gustafson serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Major Health Partners, where she helped lead the development of the MHP Cardiometabolic Center and its innovative approach to preventive health. A board-certified Pediatrician and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, she is dedicated to empowering patients through evidence-based care, and sustainable behavior change. Her work reflects a deep passion for preventive care and improving long-term health outcomes across all ages.

A fourth-year medical student wrote about her experience on the medical ward of a hospital.

“During my clinical rotation this past year, I encountered a patient with a past medical history of nearly every chronic disease including esophageal cancer, Type II diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disease, end stage renal disease on dialysis, congestive heart failure, bilateral carotid stenosis, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. I worked diligently with the medical team to attempt to manage all of my patients’ treatment plans. Within the first week of his hospital stay, almost every specialty team was consulted. I would check on him daily with the hope of seeing improvement in his condition. And one day, as I was leaving the room, he asked me if he could ask a question. I stopped and was prepared to go through his treatment plan again for him. However, he did not inquire about the recent changes or
upcoming surgeries and interventions. Instead, he simply asked, “How did I get here?” It was a simple question, and I wished that I had an easy answer for him.” – LG4

There is an easy answer: don’t wait until you’re already sick. Get a cardiometabolic evaluation to learn your risks — and how to stay healthy.

What Is Cardiometabolic Care?

Cardiometabolic care is a full checkup of your heart and metabolism — the systems that control how your body uses energy. The goal is to find health risks early, before they become serious problems like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, or diabetes.

It starts with your health history, including your family’s background. Some conditions run in families, so knowing that history can uncover hidden risks you may not know you carry. From there, your doctor will do a physical exam — checking your blood pressure, heart rate, weight, height, waist size, and body composition. These measurements aren’t just numbers. They are clues that, combined with your history, help your doctor see the full picture of your health.

Lab work adds even more detail — revealing how your blood sugar, cholesterol, and kidneys are functioning day to day. Depending on what your history and exam show, your doctor may also order a Fibroscan to check for fat in your liver, or a cardiac calcium score to look for plaque building up in your arteries.

Why Staging Matters

All this information — your history, your exam, your labs — comes together to determine what stage of disease you may be in. The American Heart Association uses a staging system from Stage 0 to Stage 4, similar to how cancer is staged. Stage 0 means you are healthy with no risk factors. Stage 4 means serious heart or vascular disease is already present, such as stroke, heart failure, or poor circulation in the legs.

Knowing your stage tells you where you stand right now. Your numbers — blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar — show whether you are moving toward a higher-risk stage or away from one. When you have all the pieces of information, you can act early. Simple changes like eating better, moving more, sleeping well, managing stress, or taking necessary medications can move you to a lower-risk stage. In many cases, early signs of cardiometabolic disease can even be reversed.

The patient in that hospital room didn’t know his stage until it was almost too late. You don’t have to wait. Cardiometabolic care gives you the roadmap — you just have to take that first step. While access is still limited, the Indiana Department of Health, the American Heart Association, and Major Health Partners are working together to bring this care to morepeople across the state