Latest Preventive Tests for Cardiovascular
Disease Risk Assessment at Beth Israel
by Gina Pozadas
Continuing their commitment to early detection of cardiovascular
disease, the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the Heart
Institute at Beth Israel offers cutting-edge screenings that
identify new risk factors as key to assess the risk of developing
heart disease, which remains the nation's number one killer.
The EBT heart scan and advanced cholesterol testing, used to
test those with an intermediate risk level, can predict and
prevent up to 95% of heart attacks and are often covered by
health insurance.
In 30 seconds, the EBT heart scan measures risk by examining
the level of calcium plaque buildup in the arteries. If found
in large quantities, calcium plaque buildup can cause blockage
and result in a rupture of the coronary artery. EBT is the
most powerful predictor of heart attacks because it is the
only screening that tests for the plaque in the arteries that
causes an attack. Often, the scan will find even the most physically
fit person can be walking around with a 90% clogged artery.
High cholesterol is one of the most
well known risk factors for heart disease. Yet many people
who have a heart attack have cholesterol levels within the
normal range. Some cardiologists estimate that as many as
25--30 million Americans have cholesterol levels that are
considered normal or even low–but are
nonetheless at such high risk that they must drastically change
their lifestyle immediately or seek medical treatment. New
groundbreaking cholesterol screenings go beyond measuring the
total number of HDL and LDL levels. Advanced cholesterol testing
examines the complex molecular make-of cholesterol levels.
There are 7 types of LDL and 5 types of HDL–conventional
tests do not measure these potentially lethal forms of cholesterol
subclasses.
"Every possible contributor to risk needs to be aggressively
treated," stated Dr. Harvey Hecht, Director of Preventive
Cardiology at the Heart Institute at Beth Israel. "Risk
assessment should combine the EBT scan for calcified coronary
plaque, followed by the advanced blood testing to fully identify
everything that needs to be treated."#
For further information about these and other diagnostic tests,
please call The Center For Preventive Cardiology at the Heart
Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center, (212) 777-8900.
