July 2, 2008 - The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), the leading professional organization for interventional cardiology, has expanded its educational Web site (www.seconds-count.org) with a new section dedicated to health professionals who work with interventional cardiologists and care for patients with cardiovascular disease.
The expanded site features a frequently updated Latest News section with analysis of the latest clinical studies and updates from medical conferences, a Physicians’ Blog with commentary and analysis on news of the day, clinical study summaries, as well as treatment guidelines and information about the full spectrum of cardiovascular disease treatment options. To help both patients and health professionals, Seconds-Count.org addresses cardiovascular disease in its many forms, including coronary, peripheral, congenital and structural heart disease.
A greater number of cardiovascular disease treatment options is available today than ever before, but medical research on the best treatments for specific patients is often confusing and conflicting, making it difficult for healthcare professionals to determine the best care choices for each patient’s individual condition and symptoms. Seconds-Count.org aims to provide current information and analysis of the latest treatments, from lifestyle changes and medications to devices and surgery.
“The number of clinical studies released each month, and the number of new treatments and technologies available, can be overwhelming for primary care physicians and other health professionals who must keep up-to-date on all types of diseases as the first point of contact for patients,” said Ziyad M. Hijazi, M.D., MPH, FSCAI, president of SCAI and professor of pediatrics and internal medicine, Rush Center for Congenital and Structural Heart Disease, Chicago. “Our goal is to provide an easy-to-use resource to help physicians quickly find accurate, credible cardiovascular disease information to make recommendations for their patients.”
In addition to the physician-focused section, the site includes a patient section with disease and treatment information, news and patient stories - developed so physicians can share the Web site with their patients.
An estimated 15.8 million Americans have heart disease. While the chances of survival are far better today than ever before, heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States. Each year, interventional cardiologists perform procedures (percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI) on about 800,000 Americans to re-open arteries in the heart that have become narrowed or blocked due to a build-up of fatty deposits, cholesterol or plaque.
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional medical society whose mission is to provide excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine.
For more information: www.seconds-count.org