BMC heart attack prevention efforts honored

Bend Memorial Clinic has become a Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) Certified Center of Excellence for heart attack prevention and early detection.

“Heart disease is the leading killer in America today. The SHAPE program identifies people before they have symptoms and are unaware that they are at risk,” said Dr. Rick Koch, cardiologist at Bend Memorial Clinic. “This is an important milestone in our efforts to provide quality cardiac care as well as reduce heart attacks and sudden cardiac death in our area.”

According to the American Heart Association, over 500,000 people will die this year from heart attacks and for 52% of these people, a heart attack will be their first symptom.

The program is centered on coronary calcium screening and carotid IMT testing which are non-invasive, painless tests to check for the presence of blockages in the arteries (early stage coronary artery disease) before a person develops symptoms of heart disease.

These tests are delivered using a “64 slice” CT scanner or an ultrasound machine, and will allow doctors to identify the disease in its earliest stages, prevent this deadly condition from worsening, and reduce life-threatening events.

Coronary calcium screenings should be considered for men over 45 and women over 55 with at least one of the following risk factors:

Family history of heart disease
High cholesterol level
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Smoking Obesity Sedentary or high stress lifestyle

To make an appointment for a coronary calcium scoring or carotid IMT test, please call 541.317.4311.