Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of more than 2,300 people each day. During the month of February, we raise awareness of the risks of heart disease, but also the progress we have made in the treatment, education and prevention of cardiovascular disease.
On Friday, February 4, 2022, our physicians and staff joined millions of Americans and wore red to show our support for women and the fight against heart disease. The AMI Foundation joined the American Heart Association to raise awareness and make a difference for women and families in our community and our organization.
A Valuable Tool in Heart Attack Prevention
A remarkable technology called Coronary CT Angiography (CTA) can provide the earliest possible evidence of developing coronary artery disease. This non-invasive exam requires no sedation and no hospital stay. The CT scanner completes a specialized CT scan in fewer than five heartbeats, and then within seconds uses highly advanced computers to produced 3-D, 360-degree images of the coronary arteries, the place where heart attacks originate.
A Coronary CTA scan can discover signs of heart disease that would be invisible on EKGs, stress testing, calcium scoring and even cardiac catheterization. Coronary CTA is the only non-invasive diagnostic test that detects calcified and more importantly non-calcified (soft or vulnerable) plaques. It is these soft plaques, invisible to the calcium scoring that are more likely to cause heart attacks and sudden death.
If you or a loved one have one or more of the following risk factors, you should talk with your physician:
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- High Stress Environment
- Smoking
- Family History of Heart Disease
- Diabetes
- Overweight
- Sedentary Lifestyle (little or not exercise)
In 2004, the AMI Foundation of Atlantic Medical Imaging formed the William J. Reilly Coronary CTA Fund. The fund provides free or low cost Coronary CTA exams to patients at risk for heart disease based on eligibility. Click here for more information about the William J. Reilly Coronary CTA Fund.
For more information please call (609) 677-XRAY (9729), (732) 223-XRAY (9729), 856-794-1700 or visit our website at: www.aminj.com/radiology-services/coronary-cta/
