Arthur Agatston and My Heart

During my annual physical my beloved doctor pronounced me: "Perfect! Perfect!" But that was before he saw the results of my blood work.

The dreaded high cholesterol count again. This time 234, down a whopping 8 points from the last time. This time both HDL and LDL were not satisfactory. My triglycerides improved but he was not happy.

Since I cannot tolerate statins, he opted for a Coronary Calcium Scan. The scoring system carries the name of Dr. Arthur Agatston, cardiologist and one of the developers of the electron beam tomography scan. Yes, the Dr. Agatston of the South Beach Diet.

When my doctor's office called to ask me when I would be available and which University Hospital facility I preferred, Stacy reluctantly told me that it was not covered by insurance. I braced myself for a fee in the hundreds of dollars. Surprisingly, it cost $99. No, not an even hundred but $99. (A quick check on the Net proved that it was a bargain with most hospitals charging between $300-500.)

Doesn’t it seem that it would behoove insurance companies to cover this? Perhaps early detection of coronary heart disease would save them money in the long run. Not to mention the lives it would save by identifying those patients most at risk for a heart attack.

Before my appointment I did my research. The prep for the scan and the scan itself would take about 15 minutes. It would take me almost 3 times as long to drive down to University Circle, wind my way up to the fifth level of the parking structure in hopes of finding an empty space, wait for the elevator to take me to the walkway to the hospital, find my way through the maze that is University Hospital, and return home.

Electrodes would be attached to my chest. The table would slide me into the doughnut-shaped scanner. At various intervals I would be instructed to take a deep breath and hold it. No pain at all. I’m all for non-invasive medicine.

This morning I whooped for joy when I heard the result. As Stacy said, "You can’t get a better score than zero." My arteries have no plaque.

The good doctor wants to check my cholesterol in a couple months.

Now to exercise more and to cut down on consuming Saint Angel, the French triple cream brie that melts in one’s mouth. That will be the most difficult dietary change.