Good Blood Pressure Numbers…But Is That Enough?

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GOOD BLOOD PRESSURE NUMBERS…BUT IS THAT ENOUGH?

New Cardiovascular Test Available at Alternity Healthcare

Provides Patients with Critical Cardiovascular Data

West Hartford, Conn./May 25, 2010 – You eat right, exercise and your blood pressure numbers are good. But is that enough? The SphygmoCor CP system, a new cardiovascular test available at Alternity Healthcare, measures the pressures the heart, brain and kidneys actually experience. The test obtains critical cardiovascular data not available with the traditional brachial cuff blood pressure measurement.

“Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, killing more people each year than the next five leading causes combined,” said Desmond Ebanks, MD, founder and medical director of Alternity Healthcare, a preventive medical practice in West Hartford. “It’s more important than ever that we provide the latest cardiovascular tests to patients to help identify risk factors so that they have the knowledge to make the best lifestyle choices.”

The SphygmoCor CP, a lightweight, portable device, allows clinicians to assess effects of drug therapy and lifestyle changes that cannot be detected with standard brachial cuff blood pressure measurement. The test is painless and non-invasive. Using a highly sensitive pressure transducer held against the patient’s pulse, the pressure wave exiting the heart is captured and analyzed through a complex algorithm. This identifies the central aortic pressure, determines the portion of the pressure attributable to diseased or stiffened arteries, the relative workload of the heart, and the ratio between the heart’s demand for oxygen and the available supply.

This month, the Mayo Clinic Proceedings published a major review of scientific literature on noninvasive central blood pressure measurement. The article makes several important findings including that central pressures are a better predictor of cardiovascular outcome and provide a more accurate reflection than brachial blood pressure measurements.

“We’re very pleased that a forward-thinking, preventive practice like Alternity Healthcare has decided to offer the SphygmoCor CP,” said Doug Kurschinski, senior vice president of AtCor Medical. “Cardiovascular disease is often preventable. Our hope is that the SphygmoCor CP will provide the data needed to help patients make good lifestyle changes, and ultimately help end the cardiovascular disease epidemic.”

The SphygmoCor CP system has been featured in hundreds of published studies and is used in leading physician practices and medical centers worldwide and in pharmaceutical and device clinical trials. The product was developed by AtCor Medical, based in Australia. AtCor Medical provides products for clinical use that can non-invasively assess the physiological status and the functioning of the cardiovascular system.. For more information please visit atcormedical.com.

Alternity Healthcare, LLC, is an innovative medical practice specializing in preventive healthcare. Alternity Healthcare offers cutting-edge programs and services to determine patients’ overall health and risk for degenerative disease. The practice provides patients with the tools to help them achieve optimal health and a good quality of life. Alternity Healthcare is located at 639 Park Road, 2nd Floor, West Hartford, Connecticut. For more information please call 860-561-2294 or visit www.alternityhealthcare.com