There's a new heart procedure that could save your life. The Heart Hospital of Lafayette has a way to determine the amount of plaque buildup in your heart with the HeartSaver CT Scan. The procedure is less invasive than traditional tests, and can be done in less than 5 minutes. There is no surgery, and patients typical keep the clothes they walked in the door with on.

There are several risk factors that you should watch out for, however, if you don't notice any of these symptoms you should contact your doctor. Some of the risks are: Family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, overweight, and an inactive lifestyle.

Dr. Joa Leleaux who is a cardiologist says, "The test is a very important test, particularly for middle age individuals who do have risk factors for heart disease who are trying to prevent something such as a stint or heart attack."

Mikeal Evans had the procedure done in late 2011, and says he never saw any problems with his health before he got the test done. "I had pains in my arm, but I didn't associate that with heart problems," says Evans. His doctor ordered him to get the test done after Evans couldn't complete a stress test; that's when he was told he had more than 80% blockage in two of his arteries.

Evan says on a scale of 1 to 10 he felt like a 2 before the procedure, but now feels like a 10 in comparison. Dr. Leleaux urges anyone that is middle age, between 40 and 65 years old, to go and see their doctor. "I think this is clearly a disease process that an ounce of prevention is worth about ten pounds of cure."

Katc and the Heart Hospital of Lafayette are giving you the chance to win a free HeartSaver CT Scan. All you have to do is log onto katc.com and click the living right icon at the top of the page, there you'll find all the registration info. Winners will be drawn March 1st and called to schedule an appointment.

Akeam@Katctv.com


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