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News / Headlines
Heart Attack Is Not an Earthquake!
It Can Be Predicted, therefore Prevented
Representatives of the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and
Eradication join with millions across the USA who are mourning the
untimely death of NBC News' Tim Russert, host of Meet the Press,
from a sudden heart attack last Friday. SHAPE agrees that Mr.
Russert's death shows heart attacks are not easy to predict by the
old fashioned and still prevailing approach that relies on the poor
predictive power of risk factors and stress testing. They strongly
believe that more accurate risk assessment using novel technologies
followed by aggressive preemptive treatments of the right people and
proper monitoring can result in a timely prevention and ultimately
eradication of heart attacks. This goal is achievable in our
lifetime and the SHAPE representatives urged national cardiovascular
healthcare and research policy makers to commit necessary funding to
accomplish this mission.
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) June 19, 2008 -- Today, writing on behalf of
the Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board of the Society
for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE, a non-profit
organization devoted to the mission of eradicating heart attacks),
four representatives of the organization --
Dr. Morteza Naghavi, Chairman, SHAPE Board of Directors, Houston
Arthur Agatston M.D, Author of the South Beach Heart Program, Board
Member of the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication
(SHAPE), Miami
Dr. Harvey Hecht, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Albert Einstein
College of Medicine, New York
Dr. Erling Falk, Director and Professor of Cardiac Pathology, Aarhus
University, Denmark
Dr. Prediman K. Shah, Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Director of
Cardiology Division and Atherosclerosis Research Center at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles
-- commented on the implications of Tim Russert's untimely, sudden
cardiac death. The doctors stated that they joined with millions
across the US who are mourning this loss, and concur with Dr. Cam
Patterson, quoted in an article in USA Today, that Mr. Russert's
death is a wake-up call for the hundreds of thousands who are
otherwise destined for a sudden fatal heart attack in the coming
years. Unlike Mr. Russert, who had already been diagnosed with
asymptomatic coronary artery disease, most heart attack victims are
completely unaware of their risk until hit by a sudden heart attack.
In fact, several studies have shown that the majority of the victims
would not have been considered high risk the day before their first
heart attack had they been tested in their doctor's office with the
existing old fashioned risk assessment methods. This is unacceptable
and must change.
Therefore, the SHAPE Task Force has proposed the national adoption
of the SHAPE Guidelines, which include non-invasive imaging of at
risk men 45-75 years and women 55-75 years who have no prior
diagnosis of vascular or cardiac disease to detect hidden coronary
artery disease and to monitor their response to treatments. The most
promising way to assess and monitor cardiovascular risk is to
measure an individual's plaque buildup, vascular function, and
disease activity -- a point strongly supported by many studies.
Although heart attacks and strokes account for more death and
disability than all cancers combined, it is ironic that multiple
tests, such as mammography and colonoscopy, for detection of hidden
cancers are widely used and reimbursed, but none of the noninvasive
arterial imaging tests that have demonstrated the highest predictive
value for early detection of the number one killer, is covered by
Medicare or private insurance. While screening for colorectal cancer
averages $1,000-$2,000, imaging for arterial plaque buildup costs
about $200-$400 but remains available only for people who can afford
to pay out of pocket. As a result, millions of men and women who
could benefit from these tests cannot afford them. Appropriate and
responsible use of these tests coupled with intensive risk
factor-lowering drugs and lifestyle modifications can largely reduce
the incidence of heart attack.
In conclusion, the doctors agree that Mr. Russert's death shows that
heart attacks are not easy to predict by the old fashioned and still
prevailing approach that relies on the poor predictive power of risk
factors and stress testing. They strongly believe that more accurate
risk assessment using novel technologies followed by aggressive
preemptive treatment of the right people and proper monitoring can
result in a timely prevention and ultimately eradication of heart
attacks. This goal is achievable in our lifetime and the SHAPE
representatives urged national cardiovascular healthcare and
research policy makers to commit necessary funding to accomplish
this mission. |
