NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 9, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The most commonly performed test to determine your chances of a heart attack -- the cardiac stress test -- is "worthless," says one of Southern California's foremost cardiologists. According to Emanuel Shaoulian, M.D., founder and medical director of Pacific Coast Cardiology (PCC) in Newport Beach, the test actually "does more harm than good" since it gives individuals a "false sense of security," thus setting the stage for deadly heart attacks. The only test to accurately determine whether of not you're at risk is one that takes high-definition pictures of the heart to conclusively determine if one has blockages in the arteries -- a precursor to heart attacks. The initial screening exam for this test takes only a few minutes to perform and qualified physicians can read the results right then.
"I can't tell you how many times I have witnessed patients who were given a clean bill of health after taking the cardiac stress test only to suffer a heart attack later," said Shaoulian. "There is no reason for this. We have the technology and equipment to unequivocally reveal whether or not you're at risk. It's time that the healthcare community takes action and educates the public so that we can help limit their risk of heart attack -- America's number one killer."
Pacific Coast Cardiology recently hosted a public screening day as a means of reaching out to the community while underscoring the importance of such exams. Astoundingly, more than half of the 124 participants were found to have some degree of arterial blockage and several were at a critical stage.
"Had some of these individuals not participated in our screening, who knows what kind of consequences they would have faced," said Farzan Rajput, M.D., also a cardiologist at Pacific Coast Cardiology. "Early intervention and prevention are key to enjoying a healthy future."
PCC recommends that those over age 45, with a family history of heart disease, who smoke, are overweight or have exhibited one of the classic symptoms of heart disease should be screened.
The classic symptoms of heart attack include:
* Chest pain * Shortness of breath * Feeling of squeezing or heavy pressure in the chest lasting several minutes * Pain radiating to shoulders, neck and arms * Irregular heart beat * Indigestion, nausea and/or vomiting * Lightheadedness and/or dizziness * Profuse sweating
Established in 1997, PCC has earned a reputation as a world-class facility providing cutting-edge cardiac care. Situated in an ultra-luxurious, almost spa-like environment, the practice is led by an esteemed team of specialists headed by Shaoulian, and including Rajput, Michael Radin, M.D. and Samuel Kipper, M.D. The facility is outfitted with the most technologically advanced diagnostic and imaging equipment available and utilizes the latest non- and minimally invasive techniques to diagnose, treat and even reverse heart disease.