Heart diseases, as in the rest of the world, are among the leading causes of death in Turkey.
Heart diseases, as in the rest of the world, are among the leading causes of death in Turkey. According to TUİK data, the number of men who died in 2014 due to circulatory system diseases, including various heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases, was 74,295. Although the incidence of heart diseases is increasing every day due to factors such as stressful lifestyles, diet, and habits, significant advancements have also been made in modern medicine for early diagnosis of these diseases. The SHAPE method, offered by Anadolu Health Center, identifies the risk factors that increase the risk of heart diseases and ensures that necessary precautions are taken. Anadolu Health Center cardiologists state, "In 50% of adults, the first sign of coronary artery disease is a heart attack. SHAPE aims to identify individuals at risk of a heart attack before they have one, take the necessary precautions, and reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack as much as possible." If the risk of a heart attack is detected with SHAPE and the responsible risk factors are appropriately corrected, it is possible to reduce heart attack deaths by half.
SHAPE is an acronym for the Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication, which refers both to the scientific society and the heart attack risk assessment algorithm pioneered by this society, as well as the certified centers that apply this algorithm to assess heart attack risk.
With the SHAPE method, the factors that contribute to heart attack risk are identified and preventive measures are taken. This reduces the risk and helps detect individuals who have coronary heart disease but are unaware of it, ensuring they receive the necessary treatmen
In the SHAPE screening method, the first step is a preliminary heart attack risk assessment using the FRAMINGHAM algorithm. During this screening, the patient's age, gender, total cholesterol and HDL levels, systolic blood pressure, whether they are undergoing hypertension treatment, whether they smoke, whether they have diabetes, and whether they have any known vascular disease are all assessed. If moderate or high risk is detected, a multi-slice CT scan is performed for "quantitative coronary calcium scoring."
In a normal healthy person, no calcium deposits are found in the coronary arteries, meaning their calcium score is "0." The presence of calcium in the coronary arteries is a sign of coronary atherosclerosis (artery hardening) and increases the likelihood of a heart attack. The more calcium accumulation in the coronary arteries, the higher the heart attack risk.
The goal of the SHAPE advanced screening program is to identify individuals at risk of heart attacks before they occur, take necessary precautions, and treat them according to their needs to reduce their chances of having a heart attack as much as possible.
By implementing this program, it has been found that 30-40% of individuals who consider themselves healthy are actually at risk and need intervention, while 5-10% have serious coronary heart disease that requires treatment. The goal of the program is to identify these individuals.
For individuals at high risk of heart attack, implementing necessary precautions through the SHAPE method can reduce the risk of heart attack by nearly half. The higher the risk, the greater the benefit gained.
If heart attack risk is identified through the SHAPE method and the responsible risk factors are appropriately corrected, it is possible to reduce heart attack deaths by nearly hal
A heart attack is always an emergency situation that requires immediate hospital care and cannot be treated at home. In such cases, it is safest to call an ambulance rather than attempting to go to the hospital by oneself.
SHAPE is a risk assessment algorithm, and like all risk assessment algorithms, it has a certain margin of error. However, according to current literature findings, the SHAPE algorithm is still the method that most accurately identifies heart attack risk.
Of course, this possibility exists, but it is very low.
In the program, only multi-slice computed tomography (CT) is used to perform coronary calcium scoring without the need for contrast agents. The procedure takes approximately five minutes, is completely painless, involves no medication, and the X-ray dose used is only half of that of a standard chest X-ray.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Approximately one-third of all people die due to heart attacks. Many individuals who survive heart attacks face significant challenges in returning to their normal lives, dealing with problems related to not only the heart but also other organs such as the brain and kidneys. The financial and emotional burdens caused by these problems are also substantial. For this reason, preventing heart attacks before they occur is of great importance.
Arteriosclerosis, or atherosclerosis in scientific terms, is characterized by the accumulation of plaques of fat and inflammation in the walls of arteries. These changes begin from birth and typically present their first symptoms in the 40s. These slow-developing changes lead to the narrowing of the arteries. At certain stages, often when the narrowing is not significant, the protective shell covering the fat/inflammation accumulation in the plaque cracks. The clot that forms over this crack can suddenly block the artery. If this happens in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, it causes a heart attack; if it occurs in the arteries that supply the brain, it leads to a stroke.
Inflammation plays a significant role within the plaques of arteriosclerosis. As a result of this inflammation, calcium (lime) accumulates within the plaques. The higher the calcium accumulation, the greater the intensity of inflammation within the artery, and therefore, the higher the risk of a heart attack. The calcium score value is obtained by measuring the density of this calcium accumulation.
The measurement of calcium in the arteries can be done using multi-slice CT. This imaging is performed using multi-slice CT because of its precision. No medication or substances are used during the procedure, and the X-ray dose is even lower than that of a chest X-ray.
The risk of heart attack increases after the age of 40 for men and 50 for women. People with diabetes, smokers, women using birth control pills, those with high cholesterol or blood fat levels, or individuals with other vascular diseases are at a higher risk of a heart attack.
Cardiovascular diseases affect both men and women at similar rates. However, they typically occur in women after menopause. There are two significant factors that increase the risk of heart attack in women before menopause: smoking and birth control pills. The reason that cardiovascular diseases are thought to be less common in women is that while symptoms related to heart disease are prominent in men, they tend to be atypical in women.
How can a reliable screening be done?
To reliably assess heart attack risk, it is sufficient to perform coronary calcium scoring along with gathering information about the patient (such as age, gender, height, weight, whether they have diabetes, medications they take, family history of heart disease, etc.) and conducting some laboratory tests.
Although there are many centers in our country that can perform coronary calcium scoring, the only center offering risk assessment services as part of the SHAPE program is Anadolu Medical Center.
SHAPE does not include a treatment program. After the risk assessment is conducted according to the SHAPE program, a cardiologist evaluates the results and plans a personalized prevention and treatment program, which is then shared with the patient.
Last Updated Date: 21 September 2023
Publication Date: 21 September 2023
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