FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 29, 2004 Clinton Heart Disease Reveals Misconceptions about TestingColorado Heart & Body Imaging says "Clinton Syndrome" reveals limitations of stress tests and promise of EBT heart scans DENVER - Sudden, severe cardiac disease or death among apparently healthy entertainers, government officials and highly trained athletes predictably leaves the public feeling vulnerable to the nation's top medical killer, coronary heart disease. Dr. James Ehrlich, medical director of Colorado Heart & Body Imaging in Denver, said many of the nation's leading cardiac imaging experts are now examining the lessons learned from former President Bill Clinton's recent heart problems. "Widespread managed care indifference and non-coverage of extensively validated preventive procedures continues to contribute to the typical (late) initial signs of heart disease among most U.S. citizens-sudden death or an irreversible heart attack," said Ehrlich. "In the matter of Mr. Clinton, questions have arisen regarding his cholesterol management and compliance with lipid-lowering medications, the failure of stress testing to detect coronary disease and the astounding fact that his initial symptom was severe and life-threatening, requiring immediate bypass surgery." Emerging from the "Clinton Syndrome" is an alarming pattern of physician and media misconception about the roles and limitations of various tests to diagnose cardiac disease. Sadly, according to Ehrlich and other prominent physicians, the public's interest in prevention and early detection technology is being met with a prevalent dismissive attitude from some cardiologists who have little experience in coronary prevention. Many physicians wonder why an accurate early detection imaging procedure (electron beam tomography or EBT) was not made available to Clinton years ago. |
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