Testing to Foil Sudden Cardiac Death

Hurrah for you, Dr. Healy!

Having used heart scans and coronary calcium scores for the last 10 years in my everyday cardiology practice, I can tell you firsthand that heart scans are second to none in detecting hidden coronary disease. It does so easily, accurately, and inexpensively.

Taken even a step further: It can also be used to track the progression of regression of coronary plaque. Had Mr. Russert's doctors repeated his scan, say, five years after the first score of 210 in 1998, it is likely that a score in the neighborhood of 480 would have been obtained, assuming the "typical" annual rate of increase of 18% per year that I see in people who are treated with the statin drugs alone. This represents more than a doubling of his original score. Such an alarming rate of change should have triggered an intensified effort at preventing further increase in score, something that is attainable and practical. While Mr. Russert cannot obtain the benefit of this insight, many others like him still can.

Thank you for your voice of reason in an age in which cardiology is dominated by high-tech, high-revenue procedures to the neglect of prevention. In my view, heart scans are among the most underappreciated heart disease prevention tools available.

William Davis, MD of WI 6:09PM August 04, 2008

There's an article, "Niacin’s effect on Apolipoprotein B (APOB)," at www.cholesterolscore.com that refers to Russert's cardiac condition.

It seems that there may be a treatment already in use for sixty years, which has significantly reduced total mortality and coronary events and retarded the progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

MG of 11:31AM June 28, 2008

No one talks of the thousands of chidlren that die each year in the US alone of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Our son Andrew was only 18 years old and the epitome of health and he died with no warning on May 25, 2005 only a few day before graduating high school. Andrew was a strong and healthy young man and was the star starting lacrosse goalie. Andrew was a wonderful young man that had his entire life planned and a full academic scholarship to college. We are totally devastated and are doing everything we can to broaden the awareness of SCA in children and youth. There is no mandatory registry and the numbers reported are low which is sowrong. Our children should be cardiac screened and parents should be made aware of SCA in children. Our healthy children should not be dropping dead. Our R. Andrew Helgeson Foundation has been successful in having what is called Andrew's Law passed in MD that mandates all MD highschools have AEDs and at all school sponsored athletic events. We also had the revised Good Samaritan Law signed that gives immunity to the users of an AED who helps a victim of SCA. AEDs should be mandatory at all public places. People do not understand that SCA can happen to anyone, anyplace, anytime. We still do not know what exactly caused our son's fatal cardiac arrythmia. Money must be made available to do research and stop SCA from happening to our healthy children. Please tell people about SCA in children and also the importance of AEDs and cardiac screening in childrne. When people say that the cost is too much it makes us sick. The loss of a precious child is a tragedy. Our son would have enriched the world and everyone he touched. If anyone can help us please with our mission to stop SCA in children please contact us. thank you.

Rita Helgeson of MD 2:42AM June 27, 2008