Two set example with proactive test to check heart risks

On Friday, two individuals stepped up to assist Mercy Health Center in raising awareness of heart disease and the importance of early screening to avoid potentially fatal cardiac events.

February, being National Heart Month, presents an opportunity for Mercy to call attention to one of the screening options available to help people and their physicians learn more about their heart health and determine what course of action, if any, should be taken to prevent a cardiac event.

Fort Scott Mayor Dick Hedges and Mercy cardiac rehabilitation nurse Gayle Woody, who both have high risk factors for heart disease, agreed to undergo testing with the facility's CT scanner equipped with a calcium scorer that measures calcified plaque in the coronary arteries.

Plaque is a build-up of fat, calcium and other substances in the arteries that cause them to narrow, impeding or possibly even obstructing blood flow to the heart.

Although not everyone needs this test, it is a valuable tool for cardiologists to screen patients who have diabetes, strong family histories of heart disease, or other factors that put them at higher risk for having heart problems even if they, themselves, have been and are symptom free.

Woody, 37, said her family history and her tendency toward high cholesterol levels make her a good candidate for the test.

"My mom was 52 when she had her first heart problem," Woody said, adding that it wasn't a heart attack, but the problem resulted in her mother having a balloon procedure to open up an artery and later led to coronary bypass surgery.

"I know my cholesterol runs really high, so I have the risk factors," she said.

Diabetes also runs in Woody's family, and she had it during pregnancy, but doesn't have it now.

Hedges, 69, has never had any cardiac symptoms, but he does have diabetes. He said once a person is diagnosed with it, they are monitored closely, because it increases the risk of heart disease.

His family history also makes him a prime candidate for the CT scan.

"My father had his first heart attack at 48 and died at 68," Hedges said. "My grandad had a heart attack at 61 and passed away. Then, my other grandad had a stroke and lingered for about two years and passed away. So, I've outlived all of them, in terms of years."

Hedges said, however, that he has never smoked and he is active and exercises, so those factors are in his favor.

When Hedges, first, then Woody underwent the CT scan procedure, they discovered that it takes very little time. Each reclined on a padded platform, feet toward the scanner, which resembles a huge camera with a hole where the lens would be. The radiographers have the patient raise arms above the head and then start the procedure. The platform then carries the patient through the hole to a point where the scanner takes 16 "slice" images of the patient's heart. The entire procedure takes no more than three to five minutes.

Asked if they felt any discomfort during the test, Hedges and Woody agreed that it was easy and painless.

"It was fine," Hedges said. "You just lay down and they push you through. You get tired of holding your arms over your head, but that was minimal."

Woody said following the radiographers' directions wasn't difficult at all.

"It wasn't bad. It really wasn't anything. You just breathe, then you don't breathe (while the scans are being taken)," she said.

Mercy Marketing and Development Director Carla Bryant Farmer, who recruited the two as volunteers to have the test, said it's very affordable as medical procedures go.

"When you consider the cost of so many medical exams, this is really a relatively inexpensive test to have done. It costs $235."

Woody, who works with cardiac patients on a daily basis, agreed.

About 15 minutes after the procedures were completed, the radiologist consulted with Hedges and Woody, individually, showing them their CT scans and pointing out specific points of interest or concern.

Woody's test revealed only one tiny spot that would be noted to watch for in any future exams. To her relief, the calcium score on her scan was a 2 -- meaning a very low measure of calcification.

Hedges' test, on the other hand, revealed a number of areas of concern. While the radiologist revealed the calcium score only to Hedges, the mayor said his score was high enough that he intends to take the results to his cardiologist.

While it wasn't the test result he had hoped for, Hedges said, "He (the radiologist) said, 'You need to have regular care and be watching this.'"

The next step Hedges said, will be to take the test results to his cardiologist, who can help him determine what the best course of action will be.

Farmer said Woody's and Hedges' willingness to step up and have the CT scan with calcium scoring has helped emphasize the importance of taking a proactive approach to heart health. She added that this applies not only to men, but to women.

"Mercy Health Center, as a member of the Spirit of Women hospitals, has joined 60 other cities across the country to help raise awareness about heart disease, especially in women. Women, for many years, have focused on breast health and now are coming to realize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, as well as men."

As part of Mercy's mission to promote women's heart health, the health center will present Day of Dance from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Fort Scott Middle School. The event focuses on cardiovascular health and encourages women to be proactive.

"...Take a step, learn a dance, get up and move, and understand that dance can be a key to a healthy lifestyle and improving your heart risk factor," Farmer said.

Editor's note: The calcium scorer added to Mercy Health Center's CT scanner in 2005 was acquired with funds donated by companies and individuals in the community through the annual Mercy Gala. Gala proceeds, each year, go toward programs and equipment that expand health care services to the community that Mercy Health Center serves.