Dr. Jeff Boone Speaks to Area Medical Professionals

Dr. Jeff Boone, Consultant in Preventive Cardiology, Stress Medicine, and Hypertension in Denver, CO, spoke to Spokane area physicians, sports trainers, and other medical professionals at two events held November 27 and 28th. Dr. Boone, who works directly with the Denver Broncos, spoke about the significance of early risk factor detection associated with cardiovascular disease. He stressed the importance of medical screening to better find dangerous precursors to heart attacks and stroke that can lead to early death.

In his presentation, Dr. Boone discussed his goal to empower patients and medical professionals to take a more active role in preventive health care. Many times, insurance companies will not assist in payment of a preventive screening procedure for cardiovascular disease, but rather wait until a stroke or heart attack has already occurred before payment is approved.

In order to catch life-threatening heart conditions or vascular disease, he suggests employers and business leaders offer company wide cardiac screening options to all staff members. Dr. Boone believes the general public, with the correct information and knowledge from trained physicians, would make more proactive choices to reverse the deadly trends of heart disease in United States.

Dr. Boone said, “The most critical work in preventive cardiology occurs long before you feel chest pain or shortness of breath. Our preventive cardiology mission is to find the heart and blood vessel disease early before symptoms occur, determine the causation and vulnerability of the disease, and stabilize and eradicate the disease.”

“The Four Horsemen,” as Dr. Boone calls it, “of heart and blood vessel disease consist of the presence of dangerous arterial wall plaque, blood clots, heart muscle damage, and improper electrical signaling. Without proper care, unknown vascular problems can result in premature, preventable death.” Dr. Boone states “medical providers need to be committed to continually upgrading state-of-the-art preventive cardiology evaluation and treatment programs to better stop the Four Horsemen in their tracks. ”

Dr. Boone explained to the group of attendees that those individuals that have the means to request a cardiac 64-slice CTA scan should consult their doctor about scheduling this exam. He believes a 64-slice CTA scan provides superior image quality for caregivers and radiologists to better determine and evaluate a patient’s susceptibility to heart disease. For now, insurance providers are hesitant to pay for this service because it is considered preventive care. For those that may not have the financial means to pay for a 64-slice CT scan, Dr. Boone says there are alternative imaging procedures available to determine cardiovascular risk factors. Carotid ultrasound, blood tests, cardiac angiograms, and stress tests can also serve as viable and affordable tests to evaluate if an individual might be at risk.

Dr. Boone was a recipient of the prestigious Secretary’s Award for Innovations in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention presented by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  As an active clinician and researcher, he has authored numerous professional articles and books pertaining to Preventive Cardiology, Stress Medicine, and Hypertension.  

As an international lecturer, Dr. Boone has spoken with tens of thousands of health care professionals throughout the world. His approach to the early detection and aggressive prevention of cardiovascular disease has been presented to audiences on four continents in twelve countries and in forty-seven of the United States. The evaluation of the cardiovascular consequences of mental stress and intensity and the uses of advanced cardiac imaging in the prevention of heart disease are unique components of Dr. Boone’s clinical practice.