Things You Can Do

• Quit Smoking
• Get Sensible Exercise
• Get Tested for Diabetes
• Control High Blood Pressure
• Form a Partnership for Health
• Keep Alcohol Use Moderate
• Strive for Balance
• Maintain a Health Body Weight

Monitor Your Blood Pressure

• What is Blood Pressure? What Happens When It's High?
• How is Blood Pressure Checked and What Do the Numbers Mean?
• What Causes High Blood Pressure?
• Preventing High Blood Pressure
• If You Have High Blood Pressure

Exercise

• Activities and Calories Used in Exercise
• Sample Walking Program
• Test Your Physical Activity and Heart Disease IQ
• Successful Exercise at a Glance

Change Dietary Habits

• Low-fat Cooking
• Eating Right in Every Location
• Diet tips at a Glance
• Calculate Your Body Mass Index
• Using the Food Label
• What is Cholesterol and Why Does it Matter?
• What Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean
• What Affects Blood Cholesterol Levels
• What Can You Do to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol
• Eating Right and Staying Active
• A Daily Food Guide
• Shopping the Heart-Healthy Way

Positron Emission Tomography

PET Scan for the Heart

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) is one of the newest, most advanced methods for studying the heart. PET is painless and noninvasive, requiring only an intravenous injection. But unlike the X-ray, PET does more than show the anatomy and structure o f the heart. PET looks at the function or physiology of the heart, which can indicate problems before they cause any structural damage. Conventional imaging techniques such as X-ray, CAT scans and Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI) can only show anatomy, not function.

Purpose of PET Scans

PET scans of the heart can be used to determine blood flow to the heart muscle and help evaluate signs of coronary artery disease. PET scans can also be used to determine if areas of the heart muscle that show decreased function are alive, rather than scarred as a result of a prior heart attack (myocardial infarction). Combined with a myocardial perfusion study, PET scans distinguish nonfunctioning heart muscle from heart muscle that would benefit from procedures such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery, which can reestablish adequate blood flow and improve heart function.

How a PET Scan Works

The test uses a PET camera, which is a large machine, shaped like a ring standing on edge. You will lie on a bed and be positioned with your chest centered in the ring.

During the scan a small amount of radiopharmaceutical, known as a “tracer,” is injected into an arm vein through an intravenous catheter. Within the PET machine are multiple rings of detectors that record the emission of energy from the radioactive substance in your body and permit an image of your body to be obtained.