Step I Test for Atherosclerosis
Step II Find Your Level of Risk
Step III Get Treatment According to Your Risk Level
Many individuals, even those with severe atherosclerosis, are unaware of their risk because they have no symptoms. In 30% to 50% of these individuals, the first indicator of atherosclerosis is an acute heart attack, which is often fatal.
The SHAPE Guideline calls for the non-invasive screening of all Men 45 to 75 years of age and Women 55 to 75 years of age, except for those defined as low risk.
Early Detection Leads to Prevention.
Our primary goal is to move cardiac clinical practice from “sick care” to prevention or “preventative healthcare.” To accomplish our immediate objectives we are focused on promoting the SHAPE guidelines, screening protocol that builds on risk factor detection to identify cardiovascular disease. We advocate for patients to work with their physicians to get screened for cardiovascular disease, and take proactive steps for preventative strategies that include lifestyle modification, diet and exercise, and when indicated, appropriate drug therapy to halt and reverse disease.
Are you a vulnerable patient and unaware of your risk?
Each year close to 1.4 million people in the United States experience a heart attack, and in excess of 500,000 die from it. Amazingly, 50 to 70% of those individuals who died from a heart attack were not aware of their risk. Definition of a vulnerable patient: Individuals who are at risk of a near-term future heart attack are called vulnerable patients.
Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of chest pain, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
Atherosclerosis is a common and dangerous disease of the arteries, heart, brain, and periphery. It is by far the most frequent underlying cause of angina, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease and is responsible for many cases of stroke. Many individuals, even those with severe atherosclerosis, are unaware of their risk, because they have no symptoms. In 30% to 50% of these individuals, the first indicator of atherosclerosis is an acute heart attack, which is often fatal.
Some risk factors are modifiable, and you have the opportunity to improve these!
Although easily measured, potentially modifiable risk factors account for more than 90% of the risk of an initial acute myocardial infarction (MI). These heart attacks often occur in patients who are not receiving the benefits of preventive therapies of proven efficacy because their arterial disease was unrecognized (asymptomatic) and/or they had been misclassified by conventional risk factors and assigned a treatment goal at odds with their actual burden of atherosclerosis.