Case Study: Heart Disease Risk

CIMT (Carotid Intima Media Thickness) Testing

Tony O'Donnell was 43 years old with high risk of heart disease. As his doctors informed him, his blood pressure was high, and his cholesterol was moderately elevated. His doctor told him he needed to maintain a healthy diet and lose weight in order to reduce his cholesterol level. He was also told that heart disease and stroke were the leading causes of death and disability for people in the U.S and that overweight people were twice as likely to have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, than people who are not overweight.

Tony had a hard time losing weight and reducing his cholesterol level. He came to EliteHealth with his diagnosis for further stratification. His EliteHealth physician, after reviewing the diagnosis, suggested performing a Carotid Intima Media Thickness (CIMT) examination. He explained to Tony, the vascular age testing process of measuring the CIMT (Carotid Intima Media Thickness) is to identify his risk of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Since CIMT examination provided a direct measurement of atherosclerosis, even in its earliest stages before it causes symptoms or starts to block blood flow, it was the right test for Tony.

He had the CIMT in 10minutes and received the results of the test later the same day. His CIMT was abnormal: The thickness was in the 95th percentile in the left carotid, 95% thicker than usual. Thickness of the artery wall is an early indicator of vascular disease. The thicker the arterial wall, the greater the risk for plaque development and eventually heart attack or stroke.

Tony's EliteHealth physician told him that he needed to be vigorously treated for blood pressure and cholesterol. He recommended the Statin medicine LDL C. Statins, drugs that are used to lower cholesterol, work by blocking a substance that the body needs to make cholesterol. They may also help the body reabsorb cholesterol that has accumulated in plaques on the artery walls, helping prevent further blockage in blood vessels. Statins include well-known medications such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and others.

A CIMT examination was recommended annually to monitor his heart for abnormalities. Also, with the help of the cholesterol medicine, Tony was able to control his blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Heart disease is the number one killer of American men and women. About every 26seconds, an American will suffer a heart attack and about every minute someone will die from one. EliteHealth, by adopting an individual treatment program for everyone, aims to save lives. At EliteHealth every patient is treated distinctively, aiding EliteHealth professionals in taking healthcare to the next step.

Contact an EliteHealth physician right now for free, to find out about your unique healthcare options.