CHRISTUS Southeast Texas - LiveWell

A simple heart calcium scan predicts your 10-year risk for a heart attack in minutes, so you can take steps to avoid one. Chris Gillingham's coworkers used to take bets to see how quickly he would fall asleep on the job, but the undetected health conditions that were causing Chris to doze off without warning were no laughing matter. "Sometimes I would fall out of my chair in my cubicle and hit my head," Chris says. "Doctors diagnosed me with sleep apnea, and they also discovered that I had Type 2 diabetes." In 2010, Chris began experiencing chest pains, foreshadowing cardiac complications that would continue for years to come and also contribute to stage 3 kidney failure. "After living so long with undiagnosed high blood sugar and hypertension, my kidneys were wearing out," Chris says. "So I took steps to better control my blood pressure and blood sugar, and I committed myself to having regular checkups, especially if I noticed something unusual." A LOOK INSIDE THE HEART While on the job as a postal worker, Chris noticed something out of the ordinary during the spring of 2017. Persistent chest pains had surfaced once again. Chris consulted his care providers with CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth. He chose Mark Fasulo, M.D., interventional cardiologist, after seeing an ad promoting the calcium scan. A cardiac workup included a stress test and ultrasound, but both revealed normal results. However, a noninvasive computed tomography (CT) scan known as a coronary calcium scan indicated that harmful plaque had built up in one of Chris's critical arteries. "They found an 80 percent blockage in the left anterior descending artery," Chris says. "The condition is commonly referred to as a widow-maker, and I knew we were dealing with something very serious." Doctors placed a stent in Chris's heart, and he went home the next day. Today, Chris is back at work at the post office and exercising when he can, grateful to have found answers that have proven to save his life. Call (888) 228-1508 to schedule your calcium screening for $75. Two locations are now available to serve you: Beaumont and Mid County. Know Your Risk You should consider a heart calcium scan if you: are a man between the ages of 40–65 or woman, 45–70 and have experienced one or more of these risk factors: + a family history of heart attack or stroke + blood pressure greater than 140/90 + current smoker + obesity + diabetes + LDL cholesterol greater than 130 To take an online health risk assessment and get a clearer picture of your heart health, visit digital.christussetx.org/ heart_hra. "Not all of the standard tests, like the stress test, tell the whole story where cardiac wellness is concerned. In my case, the coronary calcium score was the key piece of information that helped my doctors find effective solutions to improve my heart health." — Chris Gillingham EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES Mark Fasulo, M.D. Winter 2017 | christusset x.org HEART HEALTH 3

• Cover