Task 7  Overall Comprehension

 Watch a video clip “Coronary Heart Disease” twice and choose the best answer to each of the questions below.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true of coronary heart disease?

•A) Tim Russert died from the condition.

•B) Death from it happens without warning.

•C) It’s not common to die from the condition.

•D) About 850 Americans each day die from it.

Answer:    C   

2. Which of the following is responsiblefor Tim Russert’s sudden death?

•A) Smaller blockages that limit the bloodflow.

•B) A blood clot suddenly blocked off theartery.

•C) No adequate blood flow reaches theheart muscle.

•D) A large amount of blood reaches theheart muscle.

Answer:    B   

3. The purpose of stress tests is to lookat whether ______.

•A) someone has limitations in the bloodflow to the heart

•B) someone needs angioplasty, stenting,or bypass surgery

•C) cholesterol builds up in the lining ofa person’s arteries

•D) a fatty deposit eventually blocks aperson’s arteries

Answer:    A   

4. All of the following are mentioned asrisk factors for coronary heart disease EXCEPT _______.

•A) hypertension          

•B) high cholesterol

•C) diabetes and obesity    

•D) small blockages

Answer:    D   

5. If people don’t know whether they haveheart disease, they should ______.

•A) ask for the stress test

•B) check with their doctor

•C) have tiny blockages detected

•D) have their calcium deposition tested

Answer:_B_ 

Coronary Heart Disease

         The sudden death of NBC’s Tim Russert. A private funeral will be held Wednesdayin Washington. His death from coronary heart disease came just weeks after hehad passed a stress test. It happened without warning, but that's not uncommon.About 850 Americans each day die from this condition, many without even makingit to the emergency room. That comes to over 300 ,000 deaths a year.

         It’s the question of the day: How can somebody pass a stress test and then,weeks later, drop dead of a heart attack?

During the stress test, patients exercise to raise their heart rate.They flunk when a clogged artery prevents adequate blood flow from reaching the heart muscle. But it takes a large blockage to do that.

      “But the risk of a heart attack actually relates to smaller blockages that don't limit the blood flow but are at risk for breaking open and having ablood clot suddenly block off the artery, as was the case here for TimRussert," said Dr. Christopher Cannon of Brigham and Women's Hospital.

        In Russert's case, cholesterol built up in the lining of his arteries not enough to affect the stress test, but enough to leave a fatty deposit that eventuallyburst, causing a clot that blocked the artery. Clearly a normal stress testdoesn't mean you won't have a heart attack. So why do it at all?

        "Well, stress tests are important to look at whether someone has significantlimitations in the blood flow to the heart. If you do, then that would be areason that you will need angioplasty, stenting, or bypass surgery," Cannonsaid.

        But it's not all about finding blockages after they've occurred. lt'sabout preventing them from occurring in the first place. That's why it's key tolower risk factors such as high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise, and obesity.

        "These risk factors are real, it's not just something that we talk about. But controlling them can also help prevent heartattacks," Cannon said. “And prevent sudden death."

        "I bet cardiologist phones across the country ring off the wall today.Is there another test that patients should be asking about besides the stresstest?“ CBS News anchor asked.

        There are tests that can detect tiny blockages in the arteries of theheart, and also calcium deposition. But for people who have known coronaryheart disease like Tim Russert, and who are already being aggressively treatedwith medication and attempting that risk factor reduction which he was exposedto by his doctor today, then probably these types of tests are not going tochange the treatment. However, where they may make a difference is someone who doesn't know they have heart disease. So, of course as always, people should check with their doctor to see what test is appropriate for them.” Dr. JonLaPook answered.