By Ron Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.S. –Chief Medical Officer, Satori World Medical

February is American Heart Month, and not just because of Valentine’s Day.  Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, stroke and other vascular problems, is one of the deadliest and costliest health problems in the U.S.  The American Heart Association works with Congress to educate Americans about this epidemic and raise awareness throughout the month of February.  Today, I want to focus on three issues, prevention, treatment, and international options.

1.     The good news is that heart disease is preventable.  Some risk factors can’t be changed, such as family history of early heart disease, or your age.  But most risk factors can be controlled.  Here are a few tips for preventing heart disease.

• Don’t smoke – smoking reduces blood flow to the heart and can lead to a heart attack.
• Eat healthy – obesity increases the risk of heart disease, as well as stroke and other diseases; and a low calorie, heart healthy diet will also help lower your cholesterol.
• Be physically active – commit to at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week, and if you have high blood pressure or diabetes (which are also key risk factors for heart disease), work with your physician to keep them under control.

2.     If you do get heart disease - and some forms, such as congenital CVD or viral cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), are not preventable – there are excellent treatments available, with medical therapy, angioplasty with stents and cardiac surgery offering dramatic results in many cases.  However, there is a cost.  An estimated 6.4 million cardiac procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2004, with nearly $438 BILLION spent on cardiac care in the U.S.  Needing heart surgery and not having health insurance (47 million Americans are currently uninsured) can be a disaster.  But even with health insurance, the high deductibles and co-pays may leave you facing $5,000 to $10,000, or more in out of pocket expense.

3.     Top quality healthcare for heart disease can be obtained internationally at a fraction of the cost than within the U.S.  One option Americans have which is becoming increasingly popular is medical travel, whereby Americans travel to international hospitals to receive quality medical care at a fraction of the cost than within the U.S. 

For instance, a patient in need of a heart valve replacement can travel to a hospital in Singapore, such as those within Satori’s Global Network™, to receive open heart surgery in a hospital that offers quality care and favorable clinical outcomes that are equivalent or superior to U.S. hospitals, yet for an average cost of 30 to 50 percent less. 

Satori World Medical’s international hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is the international arm of the U.S. hospital-accrediting body, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  These hospitals also boast leading-edge technology; have nurse-to-patient ratios exceeding U.S. standards; U.S./U.K. or equivalently trained and Board Certified physicians;  medical and nursing staff that is fluent in English; and many also have affiliations with prestigious U.S. medical universities, such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, and others.

Heart Month is a good time to look at your risk factors, keep your heart healthy, and if you do have heart disease, know your treatment options!