Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Coronary heart disease is the single leading cause of death among American men and women. The risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women are well documented and compelling, from medical studies and clinical trials done by cardiologist to largely preventable treatments. One of the more obtainable ways of preventing cardiovascular disease for both men and women is by exercise and to quit smoking.

Another way to treat and detect cardiovascular disease is with the use of full body scan machines. These machines have been further enhanced as technology all around us enhances as well.

One of the more notable modern full body scan machines is the Phillips 64 slice CT scan. This medical machine is not just a newer version in medical technology, but a machine that turns the inside of the body nearly into art. The technology of the 64 slice CT scanner is particularly suited for studying the functions of the beating heart. The new CT scan medical machine can provide high resolution images without the need of surgery.

For experienced Los Angeles cardiologist the use of the advanced 64 slice CT scanner has further propelled their practice in order to better diagnose and for better treatment of cardiovascular disease in both women and men. The scanner features four times more detectors then a typical CT scanner and can deliver high quality 3-D images of any organ in the body, including the heart and blood vessels.

If you no longer have the option of preventing cardiovascular disease and need treatment from a specialist, modern technology in the hands of an experienced cardiologist will do all in their power to provide the best possible medical care. Talk to your doctor about the options you have to treat your cardiovascular disease or talk to a specialist if you need a second opinion.

11 Second Scan can Save Your Life | Cardio Health

A full body scan can be performed in just under a minute but the results it provides can mean the difference between a healthy life or surgery. Computed tomography, commonly known as a CT scan, is a heart-imaging test that uses CT technology with or without intravenous dye to determine your heart’s health, coronary circulation, and vessel wellbeing includes the aorta, pulmonary veins, and arteries.

A cardiologist will enlist the CT scan to diagnose heart disease including calcium screening, coronary angiography and a total body scan. Currently advances are being met to combine PET scanning with CT scan to better detect cardiovascular disease.

Los Angeles cardiologist use the PET scan a radiologist to examine the biological functions of your body including blood flow and glucose metabolism of the heart. CT scans show the heart's shape and volume to determine a heart diagnosis. Always consider the expertise and training of the doctor performing these procedures, as the number of adequately trained doctors is limited.

When you make your appointment for your scan your doctor will provide specific instructions on how to prepare for your test. It is common for you to need an IV and related lab tests prior to your CT heart scan. Do not drink caffeine products including chocolate and soft drinks 24 hours before your test as caffeine can cause increased blood pressure. Always talk to your doctor about any and all medications you are currently taking as this may interfere with results. You may however, drink clear liquids the night before your test including clear broths, plain gelatine and ginger ale.

Immediately after your scan you can continue normal activities and eat as usual. Your results will be reviewed by a team of cardiovascular specialists, including your doctor and a cardiovascular imaging specialist and the results will be presented to you within a few days.

Knowing Your Heart, Knowing The Risks

CNN recently reports that Jennie Garth, an actress known for her “Kelly” role on Beverly Hills 90210, found out in 2000 that she has a heart condition. One in three women has some form of cardiovascular disease. Even though it is largely preventable by visiting a cardiologist, one woman dies from heart disease almost every minute. In fact, more women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

Having had her father suffer a heart attack and diagnosed with arterial sclerosis at age 37, when Garth turned 30, she chose to see a cardiologist for a CT heart scan.

She committed to going every year for a checkup even though she was convinced she’d be the exception to the family gene pool. Instead, she found out that she had a leaky heart valve. It wasn’t a serious condition, but it reminded her how important it was to stay in tune with her body.

Between working and raising her three daughters, she says it can be easy to forget to take care of herself, but the reality is that 80 percent of cardiac events in women are preventable if they make the right choices for their hearts. Incorporating a healthier diet, more exercise, refraining from smoking, and scheduling a full body scan can make all the difference.

Here are ways you can choose to commit to your heart and the hearts of your family: make a doctor's appointment every year, perhaps around your birthday. When you go to see your Los Angeles cardiologist, be prepared with a list of questions and ask about your numbers, like cholesterol and blood pressure. Also, it is important to stay active for your heart and make physical activity a family affair. Spend time together walking the dog, gardening, or even playing tag. Commit to planning balanced meals and teaching your family about healthy food choices. By teaching them these lessons now, you can prepare your children for a lifetime of healthy food decisions. Choose to breathe clean, fresh air. Kick the smoking habit once and for all. Most women don't know that the heart is a very forgiving organ. Even if you have abused it by smoking, eating poorly, or by not exercising, you can start right now to repair it by making the right choices. For more information about heart disease prevention, contact your local cardiologists for more information.

Tumor Size Often Determines How Likely Cancer Will Spread In Lungs

Smaller tumors in lung cancer are less likely to spread into cancer, according to an Archives of Internal medicine study that reported that the earlier the detection, the better chance for successfully treating lung cancer.

Early screening using a 64 slice CT scan provides early detection of lung cancer even when a person is not aware of having cancer. The CT scan finds tumors that are very small in size; tumors less than 30 millimeters in diameter are classified as stage IA, while the IB tumors measure larger than 30 millimeters in diameter. Because of the use of CT scans, the size rating of stage I cancers now have two size categories; IA, and IB. There is some relationship to tumor size and the prognosis of surviving lung cancer for most patients.

Lung cancer specialists classify tumors as either small cell or non-small cell along with their sizes at the time of diagnosis, as cardiologists do with irregular cell growth in the heart.

They make a note of cancer cells that metastasize or spread. The patient’s tumors are determined if they were solid, nonsolid or part-solid. In the study, among the 464 lung cancer patients observed, 28 patients had small cell cancer, and the tumors associated with this type of cancer were at a higher risk for spreading.

In addition to finding tumors of the lung, using computed tomography CT heart scan and advanced computer software, cardiologists can obtain a non-invasive image of the beating heart. This allows for the obtaining of detailed information about the structure of a patient's heart and coronary arteries, which until recently, was only available by an invasive coronary angiogram. The extent of arterial calcification can also be determined using a full body scan and is an important early indicator of the presence of coronary artery disease. These discoveries may lead to earlier treatment that will prevent a heart attack or possible death.

Shortage Of Cardiologists In The United States

Supply and demand for US cardiologists is upside down and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology forecasts this shortage will call for the number of cardiologists to double by 2050 to meet the increasing demands of an aging baby-boomer population, epidemics in obesity, and growing rates of diabetes mellitus. At the time of this report, there is a shortage of more than 1,600 general cardiologists and almost 2,000 interventional cardiologists in the country. And with more patients with chronic heart disease are living longer and needing CT scans, the demand for cardiologists in America is expected to continue so that if these trends persist, the US may be short approximately 16,000 cardiologists in forty years.

Current statistics are not keeping up with increasing demand for more cardiology specialists qualified to perform proper 64 slice CT scans for patients

The study revealed that only 750 to 800 new cardiologists graduate from training programs each year, and that internal-medicine residents looking to do a cardiology fellowship don't always get the chance to become cardiologists because of the strong competition for these positions. To worsen matters, many institutions say they lack the funding to take on any more cardiology fellows.

The research suggested that the current shortage is partially due to the significant shortages in the number of women and minorities in the field of cardiology. While there are an equal number of women and men in medical school, only 12% of the current cardiology workforce is female. Also, African Americans and Hispanics represent just 6% of cardiologists in active practice while constituting 25% of the total US population. In addition, in 2006-2007, black and Hispanic fellows represented only 13% of internal-medicine residents and 10% of cardiology fellows. In addition, more than 43% of US cardiologists who perform full body scans for heart conditions are currently older than 55 years, and there are concerns that these doctors might retire early, especially with the proposed cuts to cardiology payments in the Medicare physician fee schedule for next year.

Comprehensive CT Scan May Give Clearer Picture Of Heart Disease

A recent Science Daily article reports a team of researchers led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) radiologists has developed a computed-tomography-based heart scan protocol that identifies both narrowing of coronary arteries and areas of myocardial ischemia – restricted blood flow to heart muscle tissue – giving a better indication of clinically significant coronary artery disease. This is among the first demonstrations of the use of cardiac CT [computed tomography] to detect both coronary artery stenosis and resulting myocardial ischemia simultaneously in a single examination, according to a cardiac imaging specialist at the MGH Heart Center.

A CT scan uses conventional X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of anatomic structures and can detect plaques in coronary arteries. But the appearance of plaques on CT images may not indicate whether or not they actually compromise the heart muscle's blood supply.

More detailed full body scan images obtained via invasive cardiac catheterization give a better picture of how obstructive a plaque may be

Perfusion studies utilizing technologies such as MRI scans or the nuclear medicine technologies SPECT and PET reveal areas where limited blood flow has damaged the heart muscle, information that can determine whether a patient can be treated with drugs or requires surgery.

Previous studies showed that CT heart scans can identify areas of restricted coronary blood supply in resting individuals. The MGH-led study was designed to see whether a comprehensive cardiac CT examination could incorporate myocardial perfusion studies in both resting and stress situations provided by CT imaging.

CT-based perfusion imaging’s accuracy in diagnosing coronary artery narrowing that significantly affected myocardial perfusion was virtually the same as SPECT stress imaging, and the results of coronary CT angiography also compared favorably to those of cardiac catheterization. The radiation dose of the three CT scans did not exceed the dosage involved in the SPECT stress perfusion study because the cardiologists in the study used new radiation-dose-reduction techniques.

Nuclear perfusion, while providing imaging information that can help guide patient treatment, has limitations that can lead to either false negative or false positive findings. The ability to acquire anatomical visualization of coronary artery stenosis together with physiological assessment of myocardial perfusion in a single study could improve diagnostic accuracy while potentially reducing costs and radiation exposure. The study was relatively small, and further tests must be conducted a larger multicenter trial to investigate the additional value of CT perfusion studies.

A CT Scan From The Patient’s Point Of View

Medical News Today discusses what a CT heart scan is like for the patient to help those going in for this procedures understand what to expect. Most places will provide the patient with a gown, and the patient will need to undress, usually down to their underwear, and put the gown on. If the place does not provide a gown the patient should wear loose-fitting clothes. Any woman who suspects she may be pregnant should tell her doctor beforehand.

The cardiologist may ask the patient to fast (eat nothing) and even refrain from consuming liquids for a specific period before the scan.

Going In For A Full Body Scan

The patient will be asked to lie down on a motorized examination table, which then goes into the giant doughnut-like machine. The couch with the patient goes into the doughnut hole while lying on the examination table.

Sometimes, patients may be given a contrast dye or substance which is either swallowed, given as an enema, or injected. This tends to improve the picture of some blood vessels or tissues. If a patient is allergic to contrast material he/she should tell the doctor beforehand. There are some medications that reduce allergic reactions to contrast materials that can be taken by the patient.

Metal interferes with the workings of the CT scanner, and the patient will need to remove all jewelry and metal fastenings. Most of the time the patient will lie on his/her back, facing up. But sometimes it may be necessary to lie face-down or sideways. After the machine has taken one X-ray picture, the couch will move slightly, and then another picture is taken, etc. For best results, the patient needs to lie very still.

Everybody except for the patient will leave the room during the scan. The radiographer will still be able to communicate with the patient, and vice-versa, through an intercom. If the patient is a child, a parent or adult might be allowed to stand or sit nearby and will have to wear a lead apron to prevent radiation exposure to themselves.

The scan is painless, however, some people experience discomfort for having to be completely still for what for them is a long time. If you anticipate that the whole experience is going to be stressful you can ask Los Angeles cardiologist doctor for a mild sedative to become unconscious during the scan.