T.C.’s Story

“Knowing my coronary artery score is helping me avoid my father’s fate.”

T.C. is a 48 year old man whose father died without warning at age 52 of a sudden heart attack. T.C. exercises, avoids fatty foods, and does not smoke cigarettes. His total cholesterol was 192, but advanced lipid studies showed that he had an excessive amount of the small, sticky particles of cholesterol called Lipoprotein (a) that lead to coronary artery disease. His heart scan showed small areas of calcified plaque in the arteries supplying his heart muscle. Putting it all together, T.C.'s total risk for heart attack was significantly higher than that for other men his age.

The good news is that it was not too late for T.C. to do something. With a few changes in his diet and exercise program, and a safe medication to lower his cholesterol his risk of heart attack has now been dramatically reduced. Knowing the results of his advanced lipid studies and the fact that coronary artery disease was in its early stage permitted T.C. and his doctor to proactively design a plan to avoid his father's fate.