CARDIAC imaging

LAKE, SMIT & PARTNERS INC OFFERS IMAGE TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE LIFE-CHANGING

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disability in South Africa, accounting for around 25% of all deaths in the country. The prevalence of CVD is rising rapidly in South Africa due to changes in lifestyle, aging population, and high levels of hypertension and diabetes.

The risk of death and disability from CVD is higher in certain populations, including those with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and a family history of CVD.

Early detection and screening are vital in effective management. Current advances in technology and medical expertise have made early detection and treatment possible.

Quality cardiac care depends on efficient and accurate diagnosis, where the accuracy of superior imaging can provide a clear picture of a patient’s condition, enabling precise, personalised care decisions.

Our imaging technology can help deliver life-changing clinical insights to patients and cardiology care teams by providing exceptional quality in diagnostic imaging, analysis, reporting and insights across imaging modalities.

The coronary calcium score is used to refine the individual’s risk of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) after looking at clinical and laboratory markers. This is particularly useful for those at intermediate risk of CAD (ie, 5-20% risk of a coronary event in the next 10 years). The coronary calcium score will guide the medical practitioner as to how aggressively to treat the risk factors for CAD.

The coronary calcium score will also help rationalise the use of statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) avoiding unnecessary use and side effects.

CT for Coronary Calcium

Scoring is simple, quick (about 15 minutes in total) and painless. The radiation dose to the individual is minimal and no contrast is required (no injection). The preparation is uncomplicated and one should avoid elevating ones heart rate prior to the procedure (avoid caffeine or strenuous physical activity just before the examination). Occasionally you may be prescribed a medication to lower your heart rate before the scan is performed. The cost of the examination is reasonable and is usually reimbursed by most medical aids. One should speak to one’s referring doctor for more detail on this.

As any artist will tell you, true success takes a deep level of commitment and time to get there. Botanical artist Sarah Kelly is, however, only 32, and while she joyfully acknowledges her success, believes it was consistency and hard work that got her from there to here: “I love every moment of what I do, but as a full-time artist, it’s work not play.”

Sarah grew up on a farm in the KZN Midlands: “I was always doing something creative, and knew from the get-go I’d be an artist. My mom and dad were fully supportive.” Sarah dreamt of doing a Fine Arts Degree, but saw graphic design as the wiser choice: “We all did that then – chose a degree in the creative field that could be used as a foundation. I’m so glad I did, as it’s benefitted me in the long run.”

Sarah loved the degree, loathed the career, and quickly realised it was not for her. To rekindle her mojo, she enrolled for an Honours Degree in Ceramics at UKZN’s acclaimed fine arts department: “I loved the tactile nature of working in clay, and it spurred me to begin painting again.” Then one evening, living then in Pietermaritzburg, she walked through Art in the Park: “I watched the artists selling their work, and thought ‘I can do that’.” And she did.

Sarah began painting little A4 watercolour botanicals, “Slowly but surely developing my own technique.” She took her watercolours into a gallery, the owner loved them, took them all, and within a week they all sold. That was the beginning.

Sarah then decided to scale them up a