MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — How many of us know someone who has experienced a heart attack or a stroke? It happens every day. 25News’ Dominique Leh met with one local man who is thankful he’s alive after getting a heart exam.
- Kevin Stevenson had no symptoms and normal lab results until a heart exam revealed severe blockage in his arteries—one at 95% and another at 75%. He received four stents during a quick procedure and credits the checkup with saving his life.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with nearly 2,000 people dying every day from related conditions like strokes and heart attacks, according to a 2022 CDC report. Risk factors include age, family history, and lifestyle, especially in areas with diets high in fatty foods.
- Key preventative measures include regular exercise, a healthy diet, and stress management. Dr. Stevenson highlights the importance of not waiting for symptoms to arise and encourages routine heart exams.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
How many of us know someone who has experienced a heart attack or a stroke? It happens every day. 25News’ Dominique Leh met with one local man who is thankful he’s alive after getting a heart exam.
“I had absolutely no symptoms. All of my lab work looked great.”
Kevin Stevenson's health seemed fine until he took a heart exam.
“He found two of my arteries were blocked. One was 95% and one was 75% so within about an hour, I had four new stints,” said Dr. Kevin Stevenson.
Stents were placed in Stevenson’s heart to open up his arteries. He credits that routine checkup with saving his life.
“Had I not done this, I may not be here today because of that,” Dr. Stevenson said.
Heart disease is the number one leading cause of death in America. In fact, according to a 2022 CDC report, nearly 2,000 people die every day from conditions like a stroke, heart failure, or coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack. So who’s at risk?
“We, of course, living here in Central Texas, where we like our chicken fried steak and our brisket, and so many people here certainly have cardiac predispositions,” Dr. Stevenson said.
While age and family history play a role, Stevenson says heart disease could happen to anyone.
“What are some symptoms?” asked 25News Reporter Dominique Leh.
“Cardiac symptoms can be many things, pressure in the chest, pain down the left arm left arm, pain in the jaw even pain in your stomach,” he said.
Some ways you can prevent heart disease include regular exercise, a healthy diet, and monitoring your stress.
“Don’t be like me, and wait until you have something like this happen, That really is a wake up call,” Dr. Stevenson said.
Dr. Stevenson told me most people don’t get these exams because they can get pricey, and insurance doesn’t cover the costs. However, after Ascension Providence lowered their price for the CT calcium scoring tests last month, they saw more than an additional 800 people getting tested. So now they’re keeping the tests as a lower affordable price.
