“Having a PET CT scanner that is focused on heart disease allows cardiac patients, in particular women, to have access to this testing.”
—Dr. Manish Joshi
can lead to heart attacks, and which occurs more commonly in women than men. In the near future, the clinic team will be able to send patients for PET CT scans at the Foothills Medical Centre, where a new space is currently under construction to house a new PET CT scanner, prioritized for women’s cardiac use. This critical service was spurred by the foresight and generosity of donor Leslie Bissett (see story on page 14). “Having a PET CT scanner that is focused on heart disease allows cardiac patients, in particular women, to have access to this testing,” explains Dr. Manish Joshi, a radiologist and head of the department of diagnostic imaging for Alberta Health Services - Calgary. “A PET CT scan will help to make or confirm microvascular disease diagnoses and avoid further testing which could be invasive and carry added risk.” women’s cardiovascular health,” adds Sandhu. “Her generosity will bring a critically needed diagnostic tool to our community — one that will directly improve patient outcomes and empower more women to live longer, healthier lives. This gift will have a lasting impact on our patients and their families.” Beyond treatment and services, the clinic aims to educate women on disease prevention and presentation, and increase awareness of the different ways women and men present. For example, women do not necessarily feel pain in the left arm or chest during a heart attack. Instead, symptoms may present as discomfort in the upper back, shoulders, neck, or jaw, or be as vague as indigestion, nausea, or trouble sleeping. “Empowering women to not dismiss their “I’m profoundly grateful for Leslie’s unwavering commitment to advancing
risk for developing cardiovascular disease. “We hope more access to the clinic will improve the number of women who get a diagnosis and can get on treatment, and that this would decrease unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations,” says Sandhu. A comprehensive approach One of the distinguishing factors of the clinic is its comprehensive services for patients. “There’s an understanding that it’s not just the heart that’s important in overall health,” says Sandhu. Sandhu and her team take a preventative and complete approach to care. Each woman receives a dedicated visit with a nurse practitioner to discuss and treat risk factors for heart disease in addition to seeing a heart doctor. Plus, dedicated registered dietitians advise on proper nutrition and psychologists address mental health factors. There’s also a social worker for help accessing medications or dealing with any impediments to care. “It’s really important that women are aware of risk factors for heart disease and which of these are modifiable so they can change them, because up to 80 per cent of cardiovascular risks can be addressed,” explains Sandhu. One piece of game-changing technology for women’s cardiac health is a positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET CT) scanner. Heart disease in women is particularly tricky to detect as it tends to appear in the heart’s smaller blood vessels. A PET CT scanner can image these tiny vessels by performing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). PET MPI is the gold standard for evaluating impaired blood flow in the heart’s smallest blood vessels that
12
Breakthroughs [ Fall 2026 ]
Powered by FlippingBook