[Check-up examinations from the cardiologic viewpoint].

The concept of the primary prevention of coronary disease is certainly widely accepted today and supports check-up visits of apparently healthy persons. The goals of check-up's viewed by the cardiologist are the detection of coronary risk factors and the identification of asymptomatic patients with coronary disease to initiate preventive measures. In some instances, a personal health problem forces the patient to a check-up visit. The major coronary risk factors of heredity, cigarette-smoking, hypercholesteremia, hypertension can be detected by taking the history, performing a physical examination and a blood-sampling for cholesterol. Additional investigations such as an ECG or an exercise-test are only indicated in symptomatic patients or in persons at high coronary risk.