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Americans were recently taken by surprise at the untimely and sudden death of senior vice president of NBC News and moderator of "Meet the Press" Tim Russert. It was reported that the 58 year old journalist died of "a sudden heart attack." The autopsy found that Mr. Russert had an enlarged heart and significant coronary artery disease.
Were there any clues to suggest his serious heart condition?
Calcium Score
About 10 years before his death, Mr. Russert had a heart scan showing a calcium score of 210. Although some experts use a score of 400 as the benchmark for high risk and would therefore classify Mr. Russert’s risk as moderate, experts who factor in gender and age to determine risk would have classified him at very high risk.
Plaque in the Arteries
Mr. Russert had a stress echo test done a few months before his fatal heart attack that can detect 70% or greater narrowing of the arteries. His test was normal. And yet he died suddenly. No test is yet available to predict whether a plaque is ready to rupture.
A new paradigm
The old way of understanding heart disease has changed. It is no longer appropriate to think of cardiovascular problems as clogs that can be roto-rooted out or bypassed and solved. Today we understand that heart disease is a condition which must be addressed system-wide if it is to be treated successfully.
You may be at risk of heart attack and not even know it
HeartCare is a cardiology practice in Los Angeles that specializes in the detection, prevention, and treatment of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. An angioplasty is just a bandaid on the real problem. You must take action to prevent future heart attacks. But what should you do?
The answer is in your own blood. Advanced lipid (blood) testing may find heart attack and stroke risks undetectable by traditional tests. Professional lipid analysis is a new medical specialty. Dr. Michael J. Wong is one of the pioneers of advanced clinical lipidology. He is accepting patients in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Michael J. Wong, M.D.,
Medical Director of HeartCare, Los Angeles
Dr. Wong is an unusual cardiologist. He doesn’t perform angioplasties. Instead, he focuses on prevention of cardiovascular disease. His specialty is Clinical Lipidology, or the study of what is in the blood that causes heart attacks. Dr. Wong evaluates these indicators to recommend the most beneficial changes to your personal diet and medications. Relatively simple changes can result in major improvements in a patient's cardiovascular condition. Dr. Wong earned the distinction of Diplomate status with the American Board of Clinical Lipidology in 2007.
What Is Your Heart Attack Risk?
Do you have a family history of stroke or heart disease?
Are you under a lot of stress?
The HeartCare Cardiovascular Risk Assessment is a private, simple test that calculates your likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke in the next five years. Complete this freecardiovascular health test online and receive your results in real time. Call to make an appointment and bring your completed assessment with you for a further explanation
of your results. Many of these risk factors can be modified. Take control of your own health!
