In 2004, the news that Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, underwent coronary artery bypass surgery for severe angina pectoris, was reported with a great shock to the American Medical Association.

What is important here is that he worked hard as president for eight years from 1993 to 2001, and during that time he received the annual medical checkup (the so-called medical examination in Japan) that is required as president, but his term ended. Only three years later, at the young age of 58, he needed coronary artery bypass surgery for severe angina.

His heart condition was already such that bypass surgery was the only option. In response to this fact, in 2005 Time magazine, a famous American magazine, organized a special feature on cardiac imaging diagnosis.

 

Looking back on those days, he said in an interview with CNN.

 

"I was lucky not to die."

(I was lucky I didn't die.)

 

This seems to explain how difficult early detection of heart disease is. Even medical examinations, such as those that the President of the United States receives, may not be sufficient for early detection. It is also true that some heart diseases can be detected early only with advanced diagnostic imaging using cardiac MRI and cardiac CT. It has been proven that early initiation of treatment, including lifestyle modification and drug therapy, can suppress future cardiovascular events. The purpose of diagnostic imaging is changing from detecting disease with symptoms to detecting signs of disease in the asymptomatic stage.

 

“From examinations for detecting diseases to examinations for prevention”

 

Cardiac checkups at CVIC are aimed at such examinations.