BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Women are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than all cancers combined. Coronary artery specific imaging is necessary to define heart attack risk in women. In a landmark study by the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) investigators published in the Archives in Internal Medicine, the Framingham risk score (FRS) was shown to be inaccurate in defining coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in many women. According to the MESA investigators, the FRS defines the CHD risk in 95% of women between the ages of 45-84 years as low.
In these “low risk” patients, 32% were found to have coronary artery calcium (CAC) present on cardiac CT imaging. There was a 6-fold greater risk for a CHD event including sudden cardiac death and myocardial infarction in women with any CAC compared with women with no detectable coronary calcium in this low FRS population. According to Dr. Norman Lepor, co-director of cardiovascular imaging at Westside Medical Imaging (WMI) in Beverly Hills, “this study shows the limitations of the FRS which were developed in the late 1940’s to assess the risk of CHD.” The recently published SHAPE guidelines for cardiovascular screening recommends cardiovascular imaging (coronary calcium, CT coronary angiography or carotid intimal-medial thickness assessment) in women over the age of 55 and men over the age of 45 years with any cardiovascular risk factors (elevated LDL, low HDL-cholesterol, smoking history, hypertension, diabetes or family history of heart disease). continue reading...
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Heart disease, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries - conditions that are usually associated with the senior population - are creeping into young adulthood. According to new research conducted by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MHS - News), prescription drug use by younger adults for heart disease- related conditions is increasing at a rapid rate, far outpacing older adults and offering a glimpse into the forthcoming clinical and financial challenges facing the nation’s health care system.
The analysis shows that between 2001 and 2006, the number of 20-44 year olds taking prescription medications to treat high cholesterol increased 68 percent, and use of antihypertensives jumped 21 percent. continue reading...
