Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?
April 5, 2005
Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. What if people could learn ahead of time just how vulnerable they are to heart disease?
As the population ages—particularly baby boomers who will start turning sixty in two years—the medical profession is continuing to focus on prevention and treatment. But discovering if one is at risk might be just the motivation needed to change the habits known to be dangerous to the heart.
A few hours at the CardioVascular Risk Assessment Center can help individuals understand their risk for developing heart and associated cardiovascular diseases. “People shouldn’t wait until they have symptoms before finding out if they are at risk,” said cardiologist Dr. Kenneth Kaplan, director of the center.
The Work-Up
Blood work includes a complete lipid profile (cholesterol, HDL and LDL, triglycerides), C Reactive Protein (an indicator of inflammation) and Homocystine level (a marker for coronary disease risk). A Carotid Doppler Study, an ultrasound of the neck and carotid arteries evaluates the delivery of blood flow to the brain and a Calcium Scoring Test uses a CT scan to identify calcification of the heart arteries, indicating an individual’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
To assess cardiac function and determine cardiac fitness level, participants take a Stress Echocardiogram, a treadmill stress test combined with a complete echocardiogram prior to exercise and another afterwards. Over lunch, clients receive a dietary evaluation and counseling with a Registered Dietitian and, at the end of the day, an interview with a cardiologist who will review the tests and explain their significance. Full written reports are sent to the patient and his primary physician.
Persistence in Action
Dr. Kaplan is proud of the CardioVascular Risk Assessment Center. “Over the years, Phelps Memorial Hospital Center and our cardiovascular laboratory has gotten involved in doing many different kinds of tests that are not traditionally done in a single hospital or outside lab,” he said. “We began doing these tests not for risk surveillance but for the diagnosis of cardiac and vascular diseases.
During this time, these tests became recognized as having predictive value and physicians in the community began ordering tests like ultrasound of the carotid artery and stress echocardiogram, not in response to symptoms but to assess risk. Now, other than for blood tests or calcium scoring, all the tests are done in a single department.”
To help make the assessment reasonably affordable, Dr. Kaplan persuaded two testing labs to create a special price for their part of the program. The tests cost significantly less as a package than if the patient were to do them one at a time.
“This information is now available to patients,” Dr. Kaplan said. “The combined program, with everything done in one day, will give you a greater insight into where your risks are.”