Heart Health and Performance Program initiated at Mayo Clinic

Friday, November 21, 2008

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Heart Health and Performance Program that specializes in meeting the needs of individuals who want to optimize their heart health and prevent a heart attack has been developed at Mayo Clinic and is now enrolling patients.

During a one-day screening process, patients undergo a comprehensive evaluation using non-invasive diagnostics in cardiology. Patients receive feedback on the status of their heart, and a team of experts provides guidance before a problem occurs.

"We use traditional methods in combination with cutting-edge technology to individually assess each participant's heart and stroke risk and then provide that person with the tools needed to optimize his or her heart health," explains Todd Hurst, M.D., a Mayo clinic cardiologist and program director. "Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death for both men and women, and in more than 20 percent of cases, the initial symptom is sudden death," he adds.

Identifying those who are at increased risk for heart attack or stroke, and minimizing that risk before they have events, makes a lot of sense, according to Dr. Hurst.

Patients in the new program undergo a battery of tests that examines their cardiovascular health, including evaluation of their lifestyle and risk factors. Standard exercise testing with personalized feedback is part of the program, and patients have the option of follow-up assessment to monitor their progress against a prescribed, personalized treatment regimen.

The screening protocol involves testing and evaluation techniques, including a physical exam and consultation by a physician, review of medications, blood work to measure cholesterol levels, blood count testing, liver and kidney function tests, body fat analysis, electrocardiogram, echo stress testing and carotid artery ultrasound to measure the thickness of the artery wall — a strong predictor of future heart attack and stroke risk.

Other specialists are involved in guiding the patient through a treatment protocol, and all patients meet with a dietician and exercise physiologist — key elements of the Heart Health and performance Program whose strong focus is on prevention.

The program highlights the integrative approach that is inherent in the Mayo Clinic Model of Care, bringing together specialists representing a number of specialty areas, including Cardiology, Nursing and the Executive Health Program.

The Heart Health and Performance Program differs from cardiac rehabilitation in that it focuses on early detection of heart disease and promotion of a heart-healthy lifestyle to understand and reduce the risk of heart disease.

"The good news is that heart attacks and stroke may be prevented through early detection and treatment," Dr. Hurst advises.

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Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. As a leading academic medical center in the Southwest, Mayo Clinic focuses on providing specialty and surgical care in more than 65 disciplines at its outpatient facility in north Scottsdale and at Mayo Clinic Hospital. The 208-licensed bed hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the clinic, which is located at 134th Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers and 46,000 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, the three locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.