April 30th, 2004

Until recently, coronary artery disease (CAD), the number one killer of men and women in the United States, was undetectable by non-invasive methods. Now, Christie Clinic has C² Cardio Check. And Christie was the first health care provider in Champaign County to offer this type of service.

Cardio Check, noninvasive and painless, produces a sub-second scanning of the heart to detect calcium in the coronary arteries. The more calcium in the arteries, the more blood and oxygen flow is restricted on the way to the heart. Without blood and oxygen, heart muscle dies, and a heart attack is inevitable.

Christie performs Cardio Check on a GE Lightspeed CT scanner that creates 35-40 images in less than 20 seconds. The amount of calcium it detects corresponds to calcified plaque in the coronary arteries and is used to establish a cardiac score. The higher the cardiac score, the higher the risk of heart disease or heart attack.

CAD is most commonly produced by atherosclerosis, plaque deposits in the walls of the arteries that cause a narrowing of the arteries. Patients who find out they have plaque build-up through Cardio Check can often prevent the progression of heart disease.

If you'd like to know more about Cardio Check, call 217.366.1285 or visit www.christieclinic.com/cardio-check.

Tags: heart, arteries, c2 cardio check