For Patients

You would be considered to have heart disease if you have had:

• a heart attack
• a heart bypass procedure
• angioplasty,  balloon, or stent procedure
• heart failure
• your doctor has diagnosed you with heart disease

You would be considered high risk for heart disease if you fit into three or more of the following categories:

• Men 40 years or older
• Women 50 years or older
• Chest pain with exertion (exercise), at rest, or with emotional stress
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• If you smoke or used to smoke
• High Cholesterol (Low HDL, High LDL, or High total Cholesterol)
• Family History of Heart Disease
• High Coronary Calcium Score

In coronary artery disease, cholesterol is deposited in walls of coronary arteries due to family history of heart disease, abnormal cholesterol or blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, excess weight and high fat blood.

In most patients, the first sign is sudden heart attack or death due to the cholesterol plaque in the wall of the artery suddenly rupturing or breaking loose. On contact with underlying tissue, blood in the artery clots or forms a thrombosis (or blood clot) that blocks the artery, thereby causing the heart attack.

Removing the cholesterol deposit from the wall of the artery by intense medical management (ex. Medications) reduces the risk of plaque rupture and heart attack.

To participate in this study you will have to be screened to see if you meet eligibility criteria. If you meet the criteria, and you decide you want to participate, you will have to sign consent forms and agree to participate. The Century Staff will review the consent form with you and answer any questions you may have before you sign.

You will have to complete a 3 day food diary and a Diet History Questionnaire before your first appointment. When you come in for your first visit, you will have an exercise treadmill test and a PET Scan done. You will be seen by a nurse, dietitian and a physician. While you are having your PET Scan, you will be randomized (like the flip of a coin) into one of two groups: Stars or Stripes.

This study is meant to support, and not substitute, the care provided by your physician not intended to replace your primary doctor. Lifestyle risk assessment reports will be given to you at your visits. For patients in the STRIPES group, reports will be sent to your doctor’s office at the following visits: 1st visit, 4 months visit, annual visit and at every 6 month visits thereafter.

A cardiac Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is a type of stress test in which blood flow to the heart muscle is seen with a radiotracer and a special scanner. PET provides an accurate non-invasive assessment of the heart arteries. Pictures of the heart blood flow are taken before and after pharmacologic stress instead of exercise to determine if maximum blood flow is restricted by narrowing of the arteries. Now, PET scan diagnoses heart disease non-invasively with 96-98% accuracy in individuals with or without symptoms of heart disease, allowing treatment even before symptoms appear.

If you have heart disease or several risk factors, you can either contact our office at 713-500-5200 for a telephone screening. Email ms.century@uth.tmc.edu or click on this form to see if you meet the study criteria. If you are eligible for the study, we can schedule an appointment for you to meet with our staff to review and sign the consent form before you come in for your first PET scan.

If you are 40 years or older and presently have heart disease or have 2 or more risk factors for heart disease, call us at 713-500-5200 to discuss whether you meet all the criteria. Download Risk Factor Handout and you can also click on this form to see if you meet the study criteria.

You must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 or under to participate in the study.  The greater the BMI, the greater the risk of co-morbidities.  To find out what your BMI is, click here or refer to below chart.

When you come to your first visit, a computer will randomly assign you to one of the groups. You will have a 50-50 chance of getting into either group. Once you are assigned to a group, we are not able to switch groups. You will belong to that group for the duration of the study (5 years).

Simple measures such as healthy eating and physical fitness markedly reduce heart attacks.

By enrolling in the Century Health Study, you will be evaluated by a team of specialists looking at lifestyle factors that may increase your risk for heart disease.

You could benefit from this trial by receiving free electrocardiograms, exercise treadmill stress tests, diet evaluations, clinic visits, and a complete cholesterol profile. The results of these tests will be given to you and your primary care physician.

Please note: If you are in the STARS group, your PET scan report will be given to you and your doctor at the end of the fifth year.  However, during your PET scan visits, you will be notified if any life threatening results are found.

This study also could benefit society by proving more efficient, cost-effective ways of diagnosing and treating coronary heart disease.

Taking part in this study may help other people with risk factors, or with heart disease get better care and hopefully attain a century of well being.

No. Your involvement in this study is not meant to replace the care of your primary care physician or cardiologist; but is an added free service to the care you are already receiving from your doctor.

There are no costs to you for any of the tests, diet evaluations, physician consultations or clinic visits. Lab work done during each of the three PET scan study visits will be free. Parking costs for each of your visits will be paid by the Century Study. Please note: If you have a medication change due to your cholesterol levels, you will need to have additional blood work done to evaluate your cholesterol and liver function. You and/or your insurance will be responsible for payment for any extra blood tests that are recommended for routine clinical monitoring. The costs of these potential interim blood tests are not paid by the Century Health Study.

Century’s comprehensive program is not meant to replace or to compete with the care of a primary care physician or cardiologist but to complement your physician s care. If you do not have a physician, we can refer you to one of the UT Physicians.

Insurance is not required to enter the study; however, you must have a primary care physician or cardiologist who manages your care and the means to obtain your medications and routine medical care. One of Century’s purposes is to support your physician in helping you achieve a healthy lifestyle and keeping your physician informed of your progress during the study via visit reports.

Please refer to the Harris County Hospital District website if you are interested in qualifying for a Gold Card.

After obtaining a  Gold Card, we would be happy to refer you to one of the UT Physicians working through one of the Harris County Hospitals.

For questions, or to speak with one of our physicians or staff, call:
Century Study Hotline: 713-500-5200
Mailing Address: 6431 Fannin St, MSB 4.256, Houston, Texas 77030
Century Study Fax: (713) 704-2695
Email: ms.century@uth.tmc.edu
Weatherhead PET Imaging Center: 713-500-6611