About Our Cardiac Screenings
Reducing Your Risk
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) claims the lives of over 325,000 Americans each year and is the number one cause of death in the United States. SCD can result in the death of individuals who may or may not know of pre-existing heart conditions.
The Dick Butkus Center for Cardiovascular Wellness, educates the general public on preventing sudden cardiac death though early detection and access to low cost cardiac screening.
Sudden Cardiac Death often occurs in active, seemingly healthy people with no known heart disease or other healthy problems. But the truth is that sudden cardiac death is not a random event. Most victims already have heart disease or other health problems of which they are completely unaware. Fortunately, lives can be saved with early detection.
A comprehensive cardiac screen which includes an Electrocardiogram and an Echocardiogram can alert you to risks associated with certain serious cardiac disease. These are generally considered to be the most effective screenings available at this time and may help uncover serious heart conditions that can potentially lead to sudden cardiac death.
Peace of Mind is now Affordable
Echocardiograms and Electrocardiograms are usually expensive to obtain and can cost between $500 and $1,500. Furthermore, many individuals with heart conditions experience no symptoms and many insurance providers will not cover the cost of these exams. This combination of high costs, lack of awareness and lack of access can be formidable barriers for many people who would benefit from cardiac screening.
The Dick Butkus Center for Cardiovascular Wellness provides unique cardiovascular wellness services and cardiac screening in order to save lives from preventable tragedies due to sudden cardiac death. Cardiac Screenings are offered for a tax deductible donation.
Do You Know Your EF?
As a result of your screening you will also “Know Your EF.” The Ejection Fraction (EF) is a key indicator of heart health and is frequently used to determine the pumping function of the heart. Simply stated, the EF is the amount of blood pumped out of the hart during each beat or contraction.
In a healthy heart, 50-75% of the blood is pumped out during each beat. This indicates that the heart is pumping well and able to deliver an adequate supply of blood to the body and brain. Many people with heart failure and heart disease pump out less that 50%. An echocardiogram is used to determine your ejection fraction.
Introducing the EBCT Heart Scan Access Program
In addition to our current screening program, The Dick Butkus Center for Cardiovascular Wellness will soon launch its EBCT Heart Scan Access Program. This initiative will add access to EBCT Heart Scans to our early-detection, cardiac screenings services.
The Electron Beam Tomography scanner (EBT or EBCT) Heart Scan is the gold standard tool for predicting your risk of a heart attack. The scan detects traces of calcification in the coronary arteries, the earliest indicator of heart disease. The EBCT scan is the only CT scan approved by the FDA for the detection of coronary calcium. Additionally, it has the lowest radiation dose of any CT scan on the market. There is simply no other test in the world that can provide you with this information, so quickly and so safely. The test is quick, painless and potentially life-saving.
Do You Know Your Calcium Score?
Your Calcium Score reflects the degree of calcifications in your coronary arteries. The amount of calcium that is measured is reported as a “calcium score.” The higher the calcium score, the higher your chance of having a heart attack. Coronary calcium is much more predictive of your risk of a heart attack than all the traditional risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity or diabetes. Armed with this information, you can now act to reduce and even reverse your risk.
How valuable is this information?
In 2007, The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Vol. 49 No. 18) reported a study that looked at over 25,000 patients screened using the EBT Heart Scan. The study concluded that a Calcium Score of 0 means almost no deaths in 10 years (99.4%) survival.
To schedule a cardiac screen, email us at butkuscenter.yahoo.com or call us
