Community Impact | 2019–2020
A quick heart screening could save countless lives
Heart disease can happen to anyone, even super-fit athletes who’ve never smoked, eat a healthy diet and have no known risk factors. It’s the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. But with early detection, it doesn’t have to be.
measurement; and blood tests for glucose and cholesterol. The calcium score CT scan, says Dr. Kirubakaran, is most important. “Just looking at a person’s profile, there’s really no good way to determine if they’ll have a heart attack,” he explains. “It could happen without an inkling that something bad is going on. The calcium score CT changes that.” If someone’s calcium score is zero on a cardiac CT, it means they have no calcified plaque in their arteries and their chance of developing a heart attack is very low. Higher scores mean higher levels of plaque buildup, indicating the severity of their heart disease. This knowledge opens the door to life-changing, and often simple, treatments. “There is powerful evidence that if someone has plaque buildup in their arteries and is put on the proper type and dose of statin, their risk of heart attack drops dramatically,” says Dr. Kirubakaran. +
“In the last 20 years, we’ve had the technology to understand who is likely to develop heart disease, and treatments that can drastically reduce heart attack risk for 90 to 95 percent of those people,” explains Azariah Kirubakaran, MD, a cardiologist at the Great Plains Health Heart Institute. Dr. Kirubakaran’s goal is to eventually screen everyone in Lincoln County for heart disease. Someday, he’d like to see these 10-to-15-minute screenings, including a seconds-long scan, become as routine in preventive care as vaccinations. He says every man over age 40 and woman over 50 should be screened. Smokers, those with a family history of heart disease, and those with diabetes or hypertension should seek screenings sooner. Anyone with chest pain or shortness of breath should seek medical care immediately. At Great Plains Health Heart Institute, screening includes a cardiac calcium score CT scan, which detects calcified plaque in the lining of the arteries; a blood pressure check and body mass index (BMI)
“In the last 20 years, we’ve had the technology to understand who is likely to develop heart disease, and treatments that can drastically reduce heart attack risk for 90 to 95 percent of those people.”
Azariah Kirubakaran, MD
GPHealth’s heart health screenings only cost $50.
People with zero, or very low, calcium scores won’t need another screening for five or six years. Those with plaque buildup should seek immediate follow-up care and treatment. To schedule a screening, call 308.568.7455 . Appointments are available on the first and third Fridays of each month.
2
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog