MAIL HEATHER AT WCCO.COM/LINKS.
PREVENTING THE DISEASE IS
SOMETHING WE CAN DO LONG BEFORE
YOU GET SICK.
SOME DOCTORS SAY 70% OF
HEART DISEASE IS RELATED TO
GENETICS AND FAMILY MYSTERY.
DESPITE-- HISTORY.
DESPITE WHAT WE HEAR ON DIET
AND EXERCISE, LOOKING INTO THE
PAST MAY BE THE BEST WAY TO SEE
THE FUTURE.
WHEN SOMEONE ASKED IF I
WANTED TO FIND WHAT MY CHANCES
FOR HEART DISEASE LOOKED LIKE,
I WASILATEAL NERVOUSFELT.
-- WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS.
BUT I DO REALIZE EARLY
DETECTION AND PREVENTION CAN
SAVE YOUR LIFE.
MY FAMILY HISTORY IS TWO VERY
DIFFERENT TALES.
MY FATHER PASSED AWAY WHEN HE
WAS 64.
HE HAD A BROTHER THAT DIED WHEN
HE WAS 51.
THEN ON MY MOM'S SIDE, A TON OF
LONGEVITY, MY MOM WILL BE 94,
SHE HAS A BROTHER WHO IS 98, A
SISTER WHO IS 88.
IT MAKES ME WONDER AS I GET
OLDER.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DECK OF CARDMIZE
I PLAYING WITH?
-- CARDS AM I PLAYING?
WE WILL BE IN HERE.
Reporter: I CHECKED MYSELF
INTO THE RASMUSSEN CENTER FOR
CARDNOLOGY DISEASE PREVENTION.
THE CLINIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MINNESOTA IS A ONE-STOP-HOUR
HEART CHECK UP DESIGNED BY DR.
JAY.
MEASURING THE EARLY
BIOLOGICAL PHASES OF HEART
DISEASE.
Reporter: THE 87-YEAR-OLD
CARDIOLOGIST EXPLAINS THIS IS
NOT HOW THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY
TYPICALLY TREATS A DISEASE MORE
DEADLY THAN ANY CANCER.
HALF THE AMERICAN POPULATION
IS GOING TO DIE FROM
CARDIOVASCULAR MORBID END.
Reporter: DID YOU HAVE A
NERVE AUNDA MOMENT THAT MADE--
NIRVANA MOMENT THAT MADE YOU?
-- WANT A DIFFERENT APPROACH?
I THOUGHT WHY ARE WE WAITING
UNTIL PEOPLE ARE SICK?
MY MOTHER'S SIDE, LONGEVITY,
MY FATHER'S SIDE, NOT.
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN LOOK WHERE
I MIGHT FALL?
SURE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST,
ONE OF THE BASIC TESTS.
I AM HOOKED TO ANORECT
ROCARDIOGRAM, A BASELINE FOR
THE TEAM LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF
DISEASE IN MY HEART, ARTERIES,
AND VEINS.
WHAT IS MY RESTING?
50.
YOU ARE ON 50.
GOOD.
THERE IS AN ULTRASOUND OF MY
NECK TO CHECK ARTERIES.
THE WHITE SPOT IS A LITTLE
BIT BUILDING UP.
HERE IS A TEST DESIGNED BY
THE DOCTORS TO MEASURE THE
ELASTICITY OF ARTERIES.
I AM PICKING UP REALLY GOOD
LOOKING FORM IN YOUR
CONNECTION, TURN YOUR HEAD AND
LOOK AT THE SCREEN, I AM
PREDICTING A VERY GOOD RESULTS
ON THAT ONE.
THEN A LOOK INSIDE MY EYES
WHERE BLOOD VESSELS CAN MIMIC
THE CONDITIONS OF ARTERIES NEAR
THE HEART.
NOTHING SHOWS UP LIKE THIS
EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WITH
MULTIPLE MRAUKAGES.
-- BLOCKAGES.
THIS TEST CHECKS FOR SHORTNESS
OF BREATH.
YOU ARE REALLY GOOD UP
THERE, MACHINE WILL TAKE TWO,
GIVE AVERAGE.
MY WIFE WILL SAY A LOT OF
HOT AIR.
WELL, IF YOU SCORE ZERO
HERE, THAT MEANS ALL THE TESTS
WE DID ON THE HEART AND BLOOD
VESSELS WERE NORMAL.
LINN REVIEWS LAB TEST,
FAMILY HISTORY, DIET, AND
EXERCISE.
IF YOU SCORE 20, THEY ARE
ALL ABNORMAL.
SO BASED ON THAT SCORE, WE
DECIDE HOW AGGRESSIVE TO BE
WITH PREVENTION.
AT THE END OF MY TWO-HOUR
APPOINTMENT, I AM ANXIOUS TO
LEARN THE RESULTS.
THE GOOD NEWS, FRANK, IS YOU
LOOK MORE LIKE YOUR MOTHER THAN
YOUR FATHER.
THAT IS GREAT NEWS.
THAT WAS A RELIEF.
IT IS.
I BET.
YEAH, THEY SEND YOU
MATERIAL, I JUST GOT IT A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I DIDN'T
GET A PERFECT SCORE BECAUSE OF
THE PLAQUE BUILD UP ON MY NECK,
THEY GAVE A 3, THEY WANT ME TO
COME BACK AND CHECK IN THREE
YEARS.
AS YOU IMAGINE, IT WAS A HUGE
RELIEF TO FIND ALL THAT
INFORMATION OUT.
AND THE DOCTOR SAID IF YOU TAKE
CARE OF YOURSELF YOU MIGHT LIVE
TO BE A HUNDRED.
YOU WILL OUT LIVE--
I DON'T WANT TO.
I LOVE THE FACT YOU GET THE
RESULTS IMMEDIATELY.
YEAH.
RIGHT.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO GET THIS
DONE, I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED.
I THINK SO TOO.
DO THEY PAY FOR IT?
DOES INSURANCE COVER IT?
I WENT THROUGH THE REGULAR
PROCESS, INSURANCE COVERED IT,
OTHER THAN A CO-PAY, WHICH WAS
MINIMAL.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE
INSURANCE, OUT-OF-POCKET COST
IS $1500.
HOWEVER, I THINK MOST INSURANCE
COVERS, LIKE STANDARD STUFF.
BLOOD TEST AS WELL.
FASCINATING.