• An Intro For The Physician
  
  
• Overview Of Clinical Studies
  
  
• Lung Scan

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An Intro For The Physician

Dear Colleague,
Electron Beam Tomography™ (EBT)™, formerly known as Ultrafast CT, has emerged as the most powerful screening tool for subclinical atherosclerosis in the asymptomatic or equivocally symptomatic individual. This noninvasive x-ray examination, accomplished in an easily performed 30-second breath-hold, identifies and quantitates the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries in an accurate and reproducible fashion. The amount of calcified plaque is closely related to the total plaque burden and to the likelihood of obstructive coronary disease.

While the detection of obstructive disease is important, it is well established that 68% of myocardial infarctions occur in the setting of vessels that are <50% narrowed and are therefore NOT detectable by any form of stress testing. Consequently, for 150,000 Americans who present annually with sudden death, the first symptom is the last symptom. At least 95% of these patients can be identified by EBT and afforded the opportunity for aggressive risk factor modification to avoid their fate. There is NO false positive EBT examination. Calcified plaque is ALWAYS associated with atherosclerosis; the specificity is 100% and less than 5% of coronary events occur in the absence of calcified plaque.

EBT is exponentially the most powerful predictor of cardiac prognosis; asymptomatic patients with high calcium scores have a 10 to 40 times greater likelihood of a cardiac event over 2 to 4 years. It is 8 times more powerful than all conventional risk factors in predicting outcome. EBT identifies the vulnerable patient. Dr. Scott Grundy, the chairman of the National Cholesterol Education Program Guidelines Committee, has recommended that the calcium percentile, which compares the amount of calcium to people of the same age and gender, become an integral part of risk assessment.

Other important uses of EBT are to determine which patents require stress testing, based upon the amount of calcified plaque, and to track the effects of treatment on the progression of disease by repeating the exam after an interval of one year.

The Society of Atherosclerosis Imaging has recommended that men age 35 to 65 and women age 45 to 75 undergo EBT, particularly if there are any risk factors. Older patients may also benefit, depending on their clinical situation. These guidelines are applicable only for EBT. Other CT technologies offer calcium scores but have not been validated, and expose the patient to 4-10 times more radiation than EBT.

EBT is now available at the Heart & Vascular Institute in Morristown. The toll free number is 866.777.SCAN (7226). The cost of the scan is $450 and is not yet covered by most insurance companies. A recent fasting lipid profile should accompany the patient or may be drawn at the time of the exam, if so desired. The EBT will be analyzed immediately and the results discussed with the patient. The report and recommendations will be sent promptly to the primary physician. We welcome the opportunity to personally communicate with you as well.

A sample report, graphic review of the most recent EBT prognostic studies and a reprint of a just published study comparing EBT and traditional NCEP risk factors are enclosed.

The physicians at the Heart & Vascular Institute are delighted to introduce this new technology that promises to be the cornerstone of prevention. For the first time, you and your patients have the opportunity to identify coronary disease in its earliest stages and to then modify the course of the most prevalent disease in America.

Sincerely,

Harvey S. Hecht, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Director, Preventive Cardiology and Electron Beam Tomography
President, Society of Atherosclerosis Imaging

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An Overview of EBT Clinical Studies

Lung Scan

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