July 19, 2011 - The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) announces the first SCCT Arthur S. Agatston Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Award, recognizing individuals whose pioneering efforts have saved lives from coronary artery disease (CAD). Arthur Agatston, M.D., presented the award to the first recipients at the SCCT annual scientific meeting in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, July 16, 2011.
Agatston is a leading preventive cardiologist whose work, first reported in 1991 with Warren Janowitz, M.D., resulted in the Agatston Score, a method for screening patients for CAD by measuring the amount of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. The Agatston Score is currently used throughout the world and considered by many experts to be the best predictor of death from heart disease. Agatston also developed a diet to help his cardiac and diabetes patients improve their blood chemistries and lose weight; this led to his first book, The South Beach Diet, a #1 New York Times bestseller. SouthBeachDiet.com allows people to receive Agatston's personalized weight loss plans from their home computer or a mobile app by the same name, and he contributes as the Heart Health Expert to EverydayHealth.com, a leading provider of health solutions.
Agatston also founded the nonprofit Agatston Research Foundation for the purpose of conducting and funding original research on diet, cardiac health, and disease prevention. As cardiovascular CT becomes a leading indicator for early detection and prevention of CAD, SCCT is honored to have a pioneer in the field now recognizing other physicians and researchers who have played crucial roles in advancing the science of cardiac prevention.
The first recipients are William P. Castelli, M.D., of The Heart Center of MetroWest, Framingham, Mass.; and Scott M. Grundy, Ph.D., M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
"The work and the concepts developed by Drs. Castelli and Grundy have had a profound effect on prevention in the field of cardiology," says Daniel Berman, M.D., past SCCT president. "Millions of people have had their prevention therapy guided by the work of these individuals, and this prevention has undoubtedly saved thousands of lives."
Matthew J. Budoff, M.D., current SCCT president, stated, "The Framingham study, under Dr. Castelli's leadership, for decades has pioneered the concept that coronary artery deaths and heart attacks could be prevented. Dr. Grundy pioneered the concept of 'vascular age' using the Agatston method, and together with championing risk factor modification by promoting healthy diet and exercise, has shown physicians how to prevent coronary artery disease progression."
Jack Ziffer, M.D., past president of the SCCT indicated, "The SCCT hopes that recognizing individuals such as Drs. Agatston, Castelli and Grundy for their leadership in preventing disease will be a catalyst to inspire the next generation of physicians and researchers to do even better. As we did with the infectious diseases polio and small pox, we can eradicate the killer heart disease."
For more information: www.scct.org
July 16, 2024 
