Howie Duncan, a 69-year-old entrepreneur and co-owner of Suburpia, a beloved Milwaukee sandwich shop with a rich 50-year history, owes his life to a proactive health decision. As a colon cancer survivor already diligent about his annual check-ups at Aurora Medical Center – Burlington, Duncan encountered a sign that would prove to be life-altering: a $49 heart scan. On a simple impulse during his April 2024 check-up, he opted for the scan, a decision that underscores the importance of Advocate Health Care Heart Scans in preventive medicine.
This affordable heart scan is designed to assess an individual’s risk of heart disease through a calcium test. The test effectively measures calcium buildup in the arteries, a key indicator of potential cardiac issues. Elevated calcium scores often prompt early medical intervention, significantly reducing the risk of heart attacks and other serious heart conditions. For Howie Duncan, this simple scan unveiled a critical health situation he was unaware of.
Duncan’s heart scan results were alarming. Beyond revealing high cholesterol, his calcium score was exceptionally high, registering at 1,583. To put this into perspective, a normal to moderate calcium score typically falls between 0 and 300. This dramatically elevated score signaled a severe risk of heart disease and necessitated immediate action.
Promptly following the scan, Duncan was referred to Dr. Robert Richmond, a cardiologist at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, and his specialized cardiology team. Further comprehensive testing revealed a 90% blockage in one of Duncan’s heart arteries. Due to the severity of the blockage, the cardiology team determined that stents would not be sufficient, and coronary bypass surgery was the necessary course of action to alleviate the strain on Duncan’s heart and prevent a potentially fatal cardiac event.
Remarkably, just days after his initial heart scan at advocate health care, Duncan underwent successful coronary bypass surgery performed by Dr. William Fischer. His recovery was swift and positive. After a five-day hospital stay, Duncan returned home and quickly resumed his active life. He is now back at his restaurants, has enjoyed a European vacation, and is experiencing full health once again. This remarkable turnaround highlights the life-saving potential of early detection through advocate health care heart scans.
Dr. Fischer emphasizes the critical role of heart scans in identifying heart disease early. “Heart scans are an essential tool for early detection of heart disease, potential heart attack, and other life-threatening cardiac conditions,” he stated. “Howie’s full recovery and return to his passions is a powerful example of the life-saving impact of our team’s work and the importance of preventive screenings.”
Grateful for this second chance at life, Duncan has become a passionate advocate for heart health awareness and the benefits of heart scans. He actively encourages everyone to consider this simple yet powerful preventive measure. “I tell everybody who will listen to go in and do the heart scan,” Duncan shares. “I feel like I just added 25 years to my life, and now I can look forward to a long and healthy future with my wife.”
While heart scans are a valuable tool for early detection, adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle is also crucial. This includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, stress management, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. These proactive steps, combined with regular screenings like advocate health care heart scans, significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Heart scans are generally recommended for individuals aged 35 and older who have not been previously diagnosed with heart disease and do not have a pacemaker. Additionally, having two or more of the following risk factors makes a heart scan particularly advisable: being male and over 45, female and over 55, obesity, diabetes, family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure, smoking history, or physical inactivity.
To learn more about the potentially life-saving $49 heart scan offered by advocate health care, you can explore resources for Illinois and Wisconsin. You can also take a free online quiz to assess your personal heart disease risk and determine if an advocate health care heart scan is right for you.
