Body Scans

[idahodude Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close idahodude]

Dude, you're a doctor?

I wish my doctor would make a little effort in my care. When we get to my high blood pressure or my high cholesterol, he pretty much says ‘it is in your history’ and give me pills and tells me to exercise. My wife’s doctor had her in for additional test. After that, medication was adjusted based on their findings. My doctor told me to stop into Target and check my blood pressure near their pharmacy. My father died at 49 from heart problems. His father died from heart problems. I am older than my father was, and concerned, but I am on medications that my father never had. I have never had any stress test, and no one knows if my blood vessels are fully open or nearly closed. Would this medication be better than that medication? Know one knows because no one is doing any tests. So, why don’t I change doctors? I did. This one is better than the last, but this is his program. I would have to change insurance to get better care, or start being more proactive myself. Maybe it is time for a body scan!

Yep, I'm a doctor. Family Doctor. Just got off my usual week's rotation in the hospital. Back to the clinic tomorrow. On call for OB tonight as well. Don't really want most to know I'm a doctor, but I have definite feelings about this post so I "came out" as it were. That's part of why my screen name includes dude, doesn't really sound very doctorly. Of course, in Idaho, doctors tend to be a bit more casual.

In your case, you should definitely keep your blood pressure controlled, be on a daily aspirin, and keep your cholesterol under control. As far as specific medications, a diuretic, an ACE inhibitor, and beta blocker would be what I'd recommend for blood pressure control first. You should be on a statin for cholesterol. This should be checked at least once a year as should your liver enzymes to make sure that you're tolerating it. You should have an EKG test done probably every five years or so. You should also DEFINITELY exercise nearly every day on a regular basis. If you get chest pains, short of breath, etc. then you should definitley have a stress test. If you're in poor shape, it may be a good idea as well. The gold standard in diagnosing heart disease is still a cardiac cath, but there's just under a 1% chance of having a serious complication from that, so the stress test usually comes first. You could consider getting a coronary calcium score as well (but not a full body scan, IMO), although the studies really haven't settled out as to where these should fit into the picture. I personally don't use them because the research isn't done yet. If you did get one done and your score was high, then I'd probably recommend additional testing to see if you would benefit from intervention. Another test that could be considered (but that I generally don't recommend) would be a high sensitivity CRP to see if your risk truly is a lot greater. Given your family history, I don't really think that this test is needed.

Finally, if you smoke you should stop, yesterday. If you've ever smoked and you're at least 65, you should get a screening ultrasound for aortic aneurysm. You should ask you doctor to also screen you for diabetes occasionally and to make sure that you have pulses in your feet as these can also be a sign of vascular disease.

[idahodude Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close idahodude]

Also, virtually no one in the U.S. has blood vessels that are fully open. We don't eat right and don't exercise enough to prevent some degree of atherosclerosis. You can pull cholesterol plaques out of most 20 year old accident victim's aortas. Even if the angiogram done by a cardiologist looks like your vessels are completely open, they probably have some small plaques, but these likely won't cause problems as long as other risk factors are minimized. This represents one of the reasons why I'm against body scans. If I look hard enough, I can find "disease" in almost anyone I see. But it really only matters if that's going to affect their life or longevity in an adverse way. That all goes towards probabilities, but that's a discussion for another day.

[Marti Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Marti]

What happens during the scan?

First you change into a gown, which makes testing easier and more
comfortable. You lie down on the table while the technician automatically
moves the table through a donut-shaped open ring. It only takes a few
seconds to take hundreds of thin slice-like pictures. You will then get dressed
and, depending on your test, you may have a consultation with a radiologist.
There is no pain associated with a scan. All you need to do is lie on the
scanner bed and take a few deep breaths.

[pcgirl54 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pcgirl54]

This is a good post for the pros and cons of a body scan and in the end it is based on how comfort level. I wondered about them myself.

Beaglemom and Idahodude thank you for your valuable input. It is appreciated.

My brother who just turned 62 and just retired looks quite healthy not overweight not someone who gets stressed but smokes just had a sensory stroke 2 weeks ago and through the MRI and related tests also found a brain aneurysm rated #2 deep in the brain so it needs to be watched every 6 months. No signs at all this was coming.

A sensory stroke is not the typical speech or facial drooping. I did not know there was such a thing. It is a loss of touch and feeling and it came on him really fast and effected one entire side of his body. He said it was so weird like someone drew a chalk line down half his body where he had feeling on one side but not the other. We do not know if the numbness/pins and needles will ever go away. He could get a cut or burn himself and not feel it. Maternal side of our family is strokes and heart attacks and high cholesterol. He has just been put on statin drugs.

To look at him you could not tell. Luckily he took aspirin when he knew something serious was happening then went to the ER. My nephew ,his son is an internist in another part of the state so we have a good resource we trust.


Would one of those scans ever be able to indicate a impending stroke or blockage?

[Marti Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Marti]

Buff

Please update us on your Body Scan Test Results

[Marti Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Marti]

Body Scans

Now that you have had your first Body Scan
Would you recommend it to friends & family?