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The Preventive Cardiology Clinic was designed to meet patient's needs in preventing and/or reversing cardiovascular disease through state-of-the-art screening tests and current risk reduction management techniques. Patients with known cardiovascular disease or those at risk of cardiovascular disease due to elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or smoking history are good candidates for evaluation in the Preventive Cardiology Clinic.
The Preventive Cardiology Clinic offers a multidisciplinary approach to aggressive cardiovascular disease prevention. All patients will be evaluated by a cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention and a registered dietitian.
Physicians
Our Preventive Clinic Physician staff includes:
The following testing programs are available through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic:
Nutrition Counseling
Nutrition counseling is available through our registered dietitian, Jenifer Bowman, with a master of science degree. Counseling will be individualized based on the patient's needs, dietary habits and screening test results. Exercise will be discussed during nutrition counseling. The patients are also welcome to participate in regularly scheduled heart healthy cooking classes.
Expanded Cholesterol Blood Testing
Understanding and treating the traditional risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking history has made a major impact in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the last two decades. Unfortunately, traditional risk factors help to explain the cause of cardiovascular disease in individual patients only half of the time. There are numerous other abnormalities which may be present in the blood stream of patients with cardiovascular disease that can now be tested for and can help us better understand the specific cause(s) in the individual patient.
Expanded cholesterol tests such as the LipoScience profile and Berkeley HeartLab tests help to identify other significant abnormalities in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and aid in designing a more specific preventive therapy for long term cardiovascular health.
CRP Blood Test
Recently, we have come to understand that inflammation within the heart artery plays a major role in this disease process. There are numerous blood tests available to measure active inflammation within the body. CRP (C-reactive protein) is one marker of inflammation, which is inexpensive and is readily available from most local laboratories.
Numerous clinical trials have studied the significance of having an elevated CRP in patients with or at risk of cardiovascular disease. These trials have suggested that individuals with an elevated level of CRP had a higher risk of having a heart attack than individuals with normal levels of CRP.
The primary focus in the "Preventive Cardiology Clinic" is to assess each individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and their risk of having heart events, i.e. heart attack. The CRP test will help in achieving this goal in many of the patients we are treating.
Coronary Calcium Scans
If a person develops coronary artery disease during their lifetime, calcium is deposited in the vessel wall as part of the disease process. Specialized CAT scans of the heart have been able to document the presence or absence of this coronary artery calcium. The amount of coronary calcium present correlates well to the overall amount of coronary artery plaque present in the arteries. Many studies have documented that the amount of coronary calcium present can predict a patient's future risk of heart attack.
Just as importantly, the absence of detectable coronary artery calcium places the patient at a very low risk of future heart attacks over the near future. By identifying patients at higher risk of future events, we can be much more aggressive in our preventive testing and treatment These coronary calcium scores are available through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic as well as interpretation of the results and long term recommendations regarding preventive therapy.
Carotid IMT Test
The carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) test is another form of screening to detect evidence of early cardiovascular disease. The procedure is a simple ultrasound of the carotid artery in the neck. This procedure is painless and free of radiation and available through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic. The information gained from the carotid IMT test helps to identify patients at higher risk of heart disease and stroke and directs our staff towards a more aggressive cardiovascular disease prevention strategy. This carotid IMT test can also be utilized to follow the success of our preventive therapy in patients with known cardiovascular disease.
64-Slice CT Scan
64-slice CT (Computed Tomography, sometimes called a CAT scan) imaging is a new non-invasive tool for patients and doctors alike in the detection of cardiovascular disease. Poudre Valley Health System, in partnership with Heart Center of the Rockies and Harmony Imaging Center now offers this advanced 64-slice imaging technology. Click here for facts about the 64-slice technology.
Click here for a printer-friendly fact sheet about our Preventive Cardiology Clinic.
For more information about preventive care, download a "Know Your Numbers" chart.
The Preventive Cardiology Clinic offers a multidisciplinary approach to aggressive cardiovascular disease prevention. All patients will be evaluated by a cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention and a registered dietitian.
PhysiciansOur Preventive Clinic Physician staff includes:
- Roger C. Ashmore, M.D., FACC, Director
- Stephen A. Treat, M.D., FACC
- C. Patrick Green, M.D., FACC
The following testing programs are available through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic:
Nutrition CounselingNutrition counseling is available through our registered dietitian, Jenifer Bowman, with a master of science degree. Counseling will be individualized based on the patient's needs, dietary habits and screening test results. Exercise will be discussed during nutrition counseling. The patients are also welcome to participate in regularly scheduled heart healthy cooking classes.
Expanded Cholesterol Blood Testing
Understanding and treating the traditional risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking history has made a major impact in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in the last two decades. Unfortunately, traditional risk factors help to explain the cause of cardiovascular disease in individual patients only half of the time. There are numerous other abnormalities which may be present in the blood stream of patients with cardiovascular disease that can now be tested for and can help us better understand the specific cause(s) in the individual patient.
Expanded cholesterol tests such as the LipoScience profile and Berkeley HeartLab tests help to identify other significant abnormalities in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and aid in designing a more specific preventive therapy for long term cardiovascular health.
CRP Blood Test
Recently, we have come to understand that inflammation within the heart artery plays a major role in this disease process. There are numerous blood tests available to measure active inflammation within the body. CRP (C-reactive protein) is one marker of inflammation, which is inexpensive and is readily available from most local laboratories.
Numerous clinical trials have studied the significance of having an elevated CRP in patients with or at risk of cardiovascular disease. These trials have suggested that individuals with an elevated level of CRP had a higher risk of having a heart attack than individuals with normal levels of CRP.
The primary focus in the "Preventive Cardiology Clinic" is to assess each individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and their risk of having heart events, i.e. heart attack. The CRP test will help in achieving this goal in many of the patients we are treating.
Coronary Calcium Scans
If a person develops coronary artery disease during their lifetime, calcium is deposited in the vessel wall as part of the disease process. Specialized CAT scans of the heart have been able to document the presence or absence of this coronary artery calcium. The amount of coronary calcium present correlates well to the overall amount of coronary artery plaque present in the arteries. Many studies have documented that the amount of coronary calcium present can predict a patient's future risk of heart attack.
Just as importantly, the absence of detectable coronary artery calcium places the patient at a very low risk of future heart attacks over the near future. By identifying patients at higher risk of future events, we can be much more aggressive in our preventive testing and treatment These coronary calcium scores are available through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic as well as interpretation of the results and long term recommendations regarding preventive therapy.
Carotid IMT Test
The carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) test is another form of screening to detect evidence of early cardiovascular disease. The procedure is a simple ultrasound of the carotid artery in the neck. This procedure is painless and free of radiation and available through the Preventive Cardiology Clinic. The information gained from the carotid IMT test helps to identify patients at higher risk of heart disease and stroke and directs our staff towards a more aggressive cardiovascular disease prevention strategy. This carotid IMT test can also be utilized to follow the success of our preventive therapy in patients with known cardiovascular disease.
64-Slice CT Scan
64-slice CT (Computed Tomography, sometimes called a CAT scan) imaging is a new non-invasive tool for patients and doctors alike in the detection of cardiovascular disease. Poudre Valley Health System, in partnership with Heart Center of the Rockies and Harmony Imaging Center now offers this advanced 64-slice imaging technology. Click here for facts about the 64-slice technology.
Click here for a printer-friendly fact sheet about our Preventive Cardiology Clinic.
For more information about preventive care, download a "Know Your Numbers" chart.