Warwick residents will soon have the opportunity to learn about their individual risks for a variety of health issues including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other serious conditions.

On July 18, Life Line Screening, an Independence, Ohio based company, will provide screenings starting at $149 for those registered. The event will be held at Oakland Beach Volunteer Fire Company on 645 Oakland Beach Ave. beginning at 9 a.m. and is expected to end around 4 p.m. According to Life Line website, the mission of the event is to help detect hidden health issues and make them aware of conditions and risks before they become a problem.

“Doctors typically cannot do these types of screenings at a check-up, so this is a way to find out what is happening inside your arteries before something happens. If we find something, then the individual and the doctor have time to act on that information before something bad happens,” said Joelle Reizes, communications director for Life Line.

When patients arrive, they will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire. They should plan on 60 to 90 minutes for the screening and the wait time, depending on how many screenings they plan on getting. Life Line Screening offers three types of preventative health screening: ultra sound, finger-stick, and limited electrocardiograph; the screenings check for plaque level buildup in arteries which impacts the risks for stroke and heart disease, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, diabetes risk, bone density and kidney and thyroid function. Packages vary in screenings and cost, not all include each type of screening; patients on average spend $149 to $200, with the highest package costing $300. Consultants are available to help patients pick a screening package that fits them based on their age and risk factors.

Preventative screenings are not meant to be an alternative to doctor visits, but rather act as a valuable proactive tool that can help keep patients, and their doctors aware of their personal risks. Life Line Screening’s website explains that many times there are hidden risk factors in patients that go unseen in early stages of health issues and these screenings are meant to prevent that.

Reizes said, “The main thing is to share all information with your doctor so risk factors can be modified or treated early.”

This is not the first time Life Line Screening has been in Rhode Island. Founded in 1993, Life Line has screened more than eight million people. Their laboratories are CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certified and they have board-certified physicians that review all results. The company operates nationally, with teams serving different regional areas traveling from site to site.

Reizes said, “We have about 60 teams, staffed by ultrasound technicians and medical technicians that serve different regional areas.”

The Warwick event is expected to draw approximately 50 patients; pre-registration helps ensure they will have the amount of staff they need to accommodate all of the patients. Screenings take place in private screening areas, require little to no preparation, are painless, non-intrusive and turn out lab-accurate results. According to Reize, in the rare case they find something urgent they will alert the patient that day; otherwise patients should expect their results 2 to 3 weeks after the screening. In most cases health insurance does not cover the cost for screenings and pre-registration is required.

To register or to get more information, call 1-877-237-1287 or visit their website at www.lifelinescreening.com.