Mary knew she had cardiac risk factors. “I was concerned,” she said. “My parents both had heart disease; my mother had a heart attack when she was 61. I’m going to turn 60 in November.”

Although she wasn’t experiencing any symptoms, Mary decided to be proactive. In August 2003, she opted to have the full body YourScan™ so she could know what shape her heart was in. “They found considerable plaque in my carotid artery,” Mary reported. “Seventy percent more than a woman should have at my age.”

The scan results led Mary to undergo a thallium stress test and heart scan, during which a suspicious blockage was noted. The next step was a heart catheterization. Mary was relieved that she didn’t require a stent. Instead, she was put on cholesterol-lowering medicine, and she learned how to change her lifestyle.

She feels that the body scan and follow-up procedures probably saved her life. “It changed my outlook,” Mary noted. “I know I have the beginnings of arteriosclerosis. I have to start exercising and eating correctly, and I’ll return for medical follow-up every three months.” Blood work will include monitoring of her cholesterol levels.

As for YourScan, “It was wonderful,” Mary said. “I’ve told all my friends about it, and several have signed up for the scan themselves.”

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