Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in American men and women and is typically caused by blockages in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. To help prevent CAD, Los Angeles cardiology experts recommend an evaluation of risk factors and appropriate testing for those suspected of having coronary artery disease, based on symptoms and risk factors.

The earlier a coronary blockage is detected, the better the chance that life-threatening problems from CAD may be averted through appropriate treatment. However, CAD can be difficult to diagnose in a non-invasive way. Getting a clear image of the coronary arteries on a CT scan wasn’t always easy. The heart is a moving, beating organ, which causes the coronary arteries on standard CT images to appear blurry. In addition, the earliest signs of CAD often are very tiny changes in the blood vessel lining or wall, making them easy to miss on a traditional CT scan.

But a new imaging technology, called 64 slice CT, is helping overcome these and other barriers. CT, or computed tomography, is a radiological technique that has been used for more than 30 years to give physicians a slice-by-slice view of specific regions of the body. Historically, CT has been useful for detecting stroke, cancer, head injuries, and herniated disks, as well as for locating fractures and evaluating bone and tissue damage in trauma patients.

Today, by using the ultrafast, 64-slice CT scanner and timing the scan to the patient’s heartbeat, physicians can image the heart and its blood vessels without blurring – and in record time. Using advanced computer technology, the information can be reconstructed into 3-D views of the heart and the coronary arteries, showing not only narrowed areas of the blood vessels but also early disease in the vessel walls that may not be narrowed.

Los Angeles cardiologist Dr. Mason Weiss of Apex Cardiology in Inglewood, CA believes that coronary CT angiography using the 64-slice CT scanner is one of the more promising tools in the fight against heart disease, but the technology is continuing to advance rapidly. And this is only the beginning.

Source: healthjournal.upmc.com

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Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, with over 500,000 dying each year. Most women don’t even know they are at risk, nor do they seek early detection. Their first symptom is often a sudden heart attack or stroke, often leading to death.

Emerging technology has greatly increased the ability to diagnose, and treat heart disease in women. The newest and most effective device in heart scan technology is the 64-slice LightSpeed CT scanner. Coronary CT angiography in the office setting is a new cutting edge technology that safely diagnoses the female patient (especially those with atypical chest pains and multiple risk factors). The test takes only minutes to do and requires only a single breath hold. In a matter of minutes, the doctor will be able to review the results. The CT computer displays images as detailed three-dimensional pictures of the heart and even reveals the interior walls of the coronary arteries where the disease is located. The doctor then immediately begins an action plan to eradicate the disease.

The CT scan represents a cardiologist’s version of a mammogram in that it directly images the disease, and is a painless, noninvasive outpatient test which has an extremely high degree of accuracy. This enables the doctor to diagnose this silent killer earlier and as safely as possible. Radiation exposure exists but is kept to a minimum by using new dose modulation techniques.

Well known Los Angeles cardiologist Robert Chesne, M.D. of APEX Cardiology explains that “diagnosing coronary artery disease in women can be difficult to detect as the types of chest pain women have are not always the classic “crushing” chest pressure. Doctors have learned to be more complete in their diagnostic workup of both women with typical cardiac chest pain symptoms as well as those with atypical symptoms such as unexplained upper abdominal pain, shortness of breath, nausea and fatigue”.

Obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, family history and elevated “bad guy” cholesterol (LDL) are risk factors which negatively affect women and men equally. However, in regards to coronary disease, women are not simply “small men”. Diabetic women, for example, have five times the risk of developing heart disease than diabetic men.

APEX Cardiology in Inglewood, California is a nationally recognized leader in providing a full range of Los Angeleles cardiology services including the 64-slice CT Scanner.

Patients with painful, gangrenous peripheral artery disease commonly faced the real possibility of amputation. Now, a new generation of smaller, more flexible stents appears to be able to save the legs of these suffering individuals. Stents are tiny stainless-steel mesh coils that prop open endangered blood vessels in the leg.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the legs initially presents with symptoms of pain and cramping in the calf or thigh with activity. The disorder is seen in over 50 percent of people greater than 70 years of age. If not found, recommended with a full body scan, and treated, the disease can progress to skin ulcers and eventual gangrene as the blockages in the leg arteries progress. Up until now, these patients had few good options to choose from for treatment.

Historically, attempts to open these clogged leg arteries with balloon angioplasty and/or stenting techniques had not met with much success. Researchers from the University of Rochester in New York have recently reported that they have used newer, smaller and more flexible stents below the knee in an attempt to salvage the limb from amputation. They saved 43 of 57 limbs that were headed for certain amputation.

Centinela-Freeman Medical Center is participating in a national trial called the “Relax Study” in an attempt to corroborate these findings. By sparing the patient from a life-altering amputation, this non-surgical treatment offers new hope where previously there was none.

Mason Weiss, M.D., F.A.C.C., is a triple board certified physician with certification in internal medicine, general cardiology, and interventional cardiology Los Angeles. He has practiced medicine for 23 years and is a physician partner with the highly regarded APEX Cardiology team of physicians located at 501 East Hardy Street, Suite 200, Inglewood, California 90301

Main Office 310.672.3900
CT Office 310.672.9300
masonweiss@apexcardiology.com
www.apexcardiology.com

In a recent story reported by ABC7 Eyewitness News, there are three new studies on heart health that reveal clues doctors may have previously overlooked, which indicate a seemingly healthy person may be headed towards heart disease or stroke. These clues, according to researchers, can be found in mammograms, blood-sugar tests, and common daytime dozing. Los Angeles Cardiologist, Dr. Mason H. Weiss, MD of Apex Cardiology said in the interview, "It would seem that those three different findings would have nothing to do with each other, but in fact all these describe things that have an association with heart disease or stroke."

In the first study, viewing the mammograms of 200 stroke patients, it was found that 56 percent of them had calcium deposits in breast tissue. This lead researchers to the conclusion that women with artery buildup in their mammograms a have a greater risk for heart disease and stroke. "The radiologists typically don't report that because it's so-called a 'non-finding' for breast cancer, but it may be a significant finding for women who have early heart disease," said Dr. Weiss.

In the second study, 1,700 patients in their mid-60s were measured for blood-sugar and insulin levels after fasting. Those with higher scores had twice the risk of stroke over the next seven years compared to those with lower scores. The blood sugar test used in the study, called homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), measures a ratio of blood sugar and insulin levels. High scores can indicate a patient is borderline diabetic. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

A third study documented the daytime dozing patterns of 2,000 people in their mid-70s. Researchers found the odds of having a stroke were nearly 5 times greater among heavy dozers compared to those who rarely nodded off. Doctors say the heavy dozers likely suffered from sleep apnea or other sleep disorders that triggered dangerous fluctuations in their blood pressure. "I think what they're trying to do over here is focus on the stroke risk, and the fact is there is some simple things that are out there that they're glossing over that we should be paying more attention to these things," said Dr. Weiss.

Dr. Weiss suggests that people take advantage of the latest technology which has been helping find heart disease earlier in patients, and even saving lives in some cases. A CT scan can help detect early heart disease. The newest technology at Apex Cardiology, the 64 slice cardiovascular CT features the industry's fastest speed and highest resolution scanner. Don't become another statistic, be aware of the risks you may be facing for heart disease and ask your doctor for more information on scheduling a heart scan. It could very well save your life.

It's a fact: Heart Disease is the number 1 killer in the United States and has been claiming more lives of women than men since 1984. Researchers don't really know why more women die of heart disease than men, but studies show that while 8 million women are diagnosed with heart disease nationwide, other women who have had, or are at risk of having heart attacks, aren't even aware of having any heart problems. And because the symptoms of heart disease aren't typical in women, and vary from those in men, detecting heart disease in women is more difficult. Symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, troubled sleeping and breathing can be easily attributed to stress, and yet even without any chest pains, seemingly healthy women with these subtle symptoms suffer from heart attacks daily. Recent studies, however, are finding that mammograms, blood-sugar tests, and common daytime dozing may offer clues to determining at-risk heart disease cases.

Dr. Weiss, Los Angeles cardiologist, says "It would seem that those three different findings would have nothing to do with each other, but in fact all these describe things that have an association with heart disease or stroke." He, also advises that along with regular mammograms, checking blood-pressure, blood-sugar, and calcium deposits in the body, a CT scan can also help detect early heart disease. The newest technology at Apex Cardiology, the 64 slice cardiovascular CT features the industry's fastest speed and highest resolution scanner. In just seconds, it can scan the entire heart in a single, brief breath-hold. And with startling clarity, it reveals extraordinary details about the health of the heart and its blood vessels, which means better detection, diagnosis, and treatment options for cardiovascular disease. Don't become another statistic, be aware of the risks you may be facing for heart disease and ask your doctor for more information on having a heart scan. It could save your life.