Cardiovascular disease
Narrowing or hardening of the vessels in the heart that can lead to heart attack, chest pain (angina), or other serious heart conditions.
Cardiovascular disease takes a life in Canada every 7 seconds.
Premature
Occurring before the usual time. In this case, males 50 years and younger and women 55 years and younger.
Atherosclerotic
Build-up of plaque in the arteries.
Close relatives of these patients are up to 10x more likely to develop atherosclerotic CVD.
SAVE BC is a unique program designed to identify, screen, treat and study patients and families with premature atherosclerotic CVD.
This program is an important step towards a safer future for those at risk for cardiovascular disease. To effectively take that step, we need your participation.
You will be invited to participate in the SAVE BC program by a relative who has been recently diagnosed with premature atherosclerotic CVD. Due to their age at diagnosis and the hereditary nature of atherosclerotic CVD, you may be at higher risk for a cardiovascular event when compared to the general population. BC does not currently have a formal program for identifying and screening at-risk family members; by consenting to participate in SAVE BC you will be offered appropriate screening based on your atherosclerotic CVD risk.
Before clinical visits, the name of your family physician is required to obtain a referral to the program.
Depending on your risk level, you will be asked to attend regular clinical visits; those at high-risk will have annual clinic visits, whereas those at lower risk will be seen in clinic once every three years.
Finally, SAVE BC specialists will review your results and provide appropriate recommendations for screening, clinical management and treatment.