Cleerly Revealed What Other Tests for Coronary Artery Disease Couldn’t
Cleerly Revealed What Other Tests for Coronary Artery Disease Couldn’t
Sharon Bruno, 47, is a registered nurse in Florida and vice president of partnerships at a provider of self-insured health plans, who was worried about her heart health due to her family history.
Before deciding she needed to be proactive about her heart health, Bruno had not exhibited any symptoms of heart disease. Bruno first decided to get a calcium score test (CAC), which uses a computerized tomography (CT) scan to detect calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. This is a commonly used test to measure coronary artery disease risk in individuals with moderate or unknown levels of atherosclerosis (arterial plaque build-up).
Then, through a partnership with Fountain Life, Bruno was eligible to get a Cleerly analysis. Similar to a CAC, Cleerly uses a coronary computed tomography (CT) scan to measure a person’s risk for heart attack. Unlike the CAC, a Cleerly analysis shows, with high accuracy, the amount and type of plaque build-up in the coronary arteries. Bruno’s Cleerly results revealed a much different state of disease than her CAC. Her analysis indicated she had moderate plaque, in which moderately intensive medical therapy is recommended to address disease burden. What this means is that her risk of heart attack was in fact not zero, but was moderate, and could grow over time without treatment.
After 15 months of adhering to lifestyle changes, a follow-up Cleerly analysis showed Bruno was able to reduce her total plaque from 348 to 254 mm3. She eliminated her low-density non-calcified plaque, reduced her non-calcified plaque from 211 to 159.8 mm3 and percent atheroma volume from 12.5% to 7.5% with minimal stenosis.
Content
4.879 -> It's very scary
6.297 -> because I've seen so many patients,
8.133 -> and friends, and neighbors
9.926 -> that we thought they were healthy,
11.594 -> eating right and exercising,
13.263 -> but all of a sudden they had a heart attack.
15.14 -> That could be me.
22.939 -> I'm Sharon Bruno.
24.19 -> I'm 47 years old.
25.567 -> I'm a registered nurse
26.86 -> and VP of Strategic Partnerships
29.07 -> with Fountain Health Insurance.
31.197 -> I had no symptoms of any kind.
34.993 -> I don't have any indication that I'm having any problems
38.747 -> or issues with my heart.
40.331 -> I thought I was all good
42.167 -> and anything could have happened.
43.877 -> I could have had a heart attack until I found out
47.464 -> about the CCTA Cleerly test.
58.641 -> So, my dad had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and
64.105 -> unfortunately died when he was 55.
68.026 -> And, it was a massive stroke.
70.904 -> So knowing that family history,
73.323 -> I always wanted to be checked to make sure I'm okay.
77.619 -> I had my CT calcium score three years in a row
81.581 -> and it was zero.
82.707 -> So I was happy because according to the test,
85.21 -> at the bottom, it actually says very low risk of cardiac event.
89.047 -> I was like, Oh, this is great. I'm good.
91.216 -> Then CCTA with Cleerly
93.968 -> was brought into our company and I got tested.
97.43 -> Thanks to my father, I got the genes
100.475 -> and my score was not zero,
103.269 -> it was 348mm3.
105.48 -> But what we need to understand about genes,
107.857 -> it’s not our destiny.
109.359 -> 75% is lifestyle and environment.
112.153 -> So that's how the doctors explained it to me.
116.366 -> We were never given the information
118.66 -> of what kind of plaque we have.
121.162 -> So the Cleerly test, it gives you the information
124.582 -> without any invasive procedures.
126.584 -> It's very simple.
127.919 -> And the way they explain it to you, and the pictures,
131.589 -> I mean, you get the pictures of your heart.
133.55 -> I was like, absolutely amazing.
136.386 -> This is life changing and life saving.
139.931 -> It just gave me the motivation to do more.
143.643 -> So I had to change my lifestyle.
145.562 -> I work out every day and try to eat healthier.
148.94 -> Before that,
149.816 -> I was just doing exercises like twice, maybe, a week.
154.195 -> But since I received the information about my Cleerly test,
158.491 -> I make sure that I'm running every day.
160.743 -> And actually, if I'm not running, I don't feel good.
164.581 -> I really don't.
170.879 -> When my CCTA Cleerly score came out, I got worried.
174.757 -> So I sent my mom for the testing as well.
177.552 -> So my 348mm3 total plaque versus hers, which was 77mm3.
183.558 -> So I was pissed,
185.101 -> but I was very happy because at least my mom is good.
189.105 -> I also have a 60+ year old friend
192.984 -> with cholesterol in the 300’s, 400’s every year.
196.196 -> My score is still higher.
197.78 -> I recommend Cleerly to all my friends now
200.783 -> and they are all doing it.
202.535 -> It's been a great experience for them.
204.329 -> All they say is it's quick,
205.622 -> it's painless,
207.123 -> and I got my score and it's better than yours.
210.71 -> That’s always what I get.
217.759 -> So in 15 months of
220.345 -> lifestyle changes, exercising more, and trying to eat healthier,
225.099 -> I was able to reduce my total plaque from 348mm3 to 254mm3.
231.981 -> My severe [risk] plaque from 5mm3 to 0.
236.402 -> And, my moderate [risk] plaque from 216mm3 to 159mm3.
243.451 -> So, so happy hearing that.
245.87 -> And the doctor’s like,
246.788 -> “Okay, continue doing what you're doing.
248.79 -> This is great.”
255.63 -> I'm just like you,
256.881 -> because we don't know exactly what's happening
259.175 -> inside our body.
260.051 -> We don't know what's happening in our heart.
261.97 -> I'm a nurse and I didn't know what's going on until
264.43 -> I got the CCTA Cleerly test done.
266.891 -> And now I know and I'm making the changes
269.852 -> and I know that it's working.
273.439 -> The ultimate thing here is everybody needs this test done.
