| Al WAY Helth Awreness Mtters Of The Hert: One Womn’s Journey tretment for coronry rtery disese. A drug eluting stent props open the nrrowedor blocked portion of the rtery nd slowly releses drug in controlled mnnerover time to help prevent the rtery from becoming blocked (NAPSA)—Pt Smith, ge 64, hs lwysled n ctive lifestyle, dedicting her time to exercising nd sports, plying with her grndchildren nd teching clsses t her locl university. Smith’s life hs twice been touched by hert disese, s she lost both husbnd nd son to hert ttcks. Despite this, she never considered herself t risk since her blood pressure, cholesterol nd weight were ll very helthy. One busy weekendfter cring for six of her grndchildren, Smith noticed n odd, fluttery senstion tht continued throughout the week. She visited the hospitl on the dvice of her dughter-in-lw, who remrked tht Smith’s symptoms were similr to those of her lte son. A doctor informed Smith tht she hd experienced mild hert ttck severl dys erlier nd ws t risk for moresignificnt ttck due to two blockges in n rtery leding to her hert. This cme s surprise to Smith. Like mny women with coronry rtery disese, she did not experience symptoms typiclly ssocited with hert ttck, such s chest pin nd difficulty brething. Coronry Artery Disese Is Leding Cuse of Deth Coronry rtery disese is condition in which rteries tht supply blood to the hert become nrrowed or blocked by buildup gin. Just two dys fter the proce- dure, Smith ws ble to resume Pt nd Sm Smith of cholesterol or other ftty deposits known s plque. Over time, this buildup restricts the supply of blood to the hert nd cn cuse symptoms such s chest pin, indigestion, light-hededness nd shortness of breth. In cses of more severe blockge, hert ttck with resulting tissue dmge cn occur. In the United Sttes, coronry rtery disese is the most common type of hert disese nd is the leding cuse of deth for both men nd women. Restoring Blood Flow To The Hert An interventionl crdiologist informed Smith of clinicl tril for next-genertion drug eluting stent, XIENCE” V Everolimus Eluting Coronry Stent System, which is minimlly invsive teching. She hs lso been ble to mintin herctivelifestyle. Next-Genertion Tretment Option The U.S. Food nd Drug Administrtion recently pproved XIENCE V for the tretment of coronry rtery disese. In the SPIRIT III clinicl tril, ptients treted with XIENCE V hd 45 percent lower risk of experiencing crdic events such s deth, hert ttck nd the need for retretment t two yers com- pred to those treted with the most widely used drug eluting stent, TAXUS. Know Your Bseline Smith feels very lucky tht her blocked rtery ws detected before she experienced mjor hert ttck. She emphsizes tht everyone—especilly women— should be wre of nything tht feels unusul with their helth. “Know your bseline,” she sys. “When you don’t feel well, you need to py ttention nd rule out the possibility of lrger helth problem.” Visit www.xiencev.com for more informtion.
