Heart attack is the number 1 and stroke, number 3, causes of death and disability is the US. The underlying disease process is the same - atherosclerosis or simply, cholesterol plaque build up and subsequent rupture of the plaque.
The immediate cause of heart attack, stroke and sudden cardiac death is the sudden cessation of blood flow in the affected artery due to the rapid formation of a clot following plaque rupture.
Cholesterol plaque build up is a progressive and diffuse disease process that starts 10 to 30 years before the actual heart attack or stroke. Patients at risk can be identified early enough and treated effectively and safely.
Preventive treatment based on accumulated scientific advances in the last 15 years can directly alter the disease process itself. Over time, this treatment will first slow down the natural progression of the disease, then even halt its progression. And with optimal treatment, even cause disease regression. All of these effects cause plaque stabilization and prevention of plaque rupture and the consequences that follows.
Preventive treatment treats all arteries and all plaques regardless of their locations.
Benefits are seen within a few months and increase with time. After 2 to 5 years, optimal treatment stops disease progression and in some cases, actually cause disease regression.
There is a direct relationship between the level of cardiovascular risk and the utilization of healthcare resources. The higher the risk, the greater the utilization of expensive healthcare resources. The lowest risk has the lowest utilization. Incentivizing employees at high risk like Jim by offering proven therapies that shifts them to a lower risk category will reduce the consumption of expensive cardiovascular healthcare resources. Evidence-based preventive medical therapy of high and very high risk population can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk and the need for stents, heart bypass surgeries, cardiac hospitalizations, etc... in addition to reducing death and disability from heart attack and stroke. Click about the magnitude of heart attack and stroke prevention possible.
