This National Heart Month, Larry offers this advice to anyone who will listen. “Go get a heart scan. It is the best 50 bucks you will ever spend - because it might just save your life.”
Seventy-two-year-old Larry Prather of Arcadia, Okla. says he is in better shape now than he was in the 1970s when he entered the United States Navy. “I was 6’2”, 192 pounds back then,” he recalls. “I was physically fit and looked healthy on the outside, but looks can be deceiving - especially when it comes to genetics.”
His grandfather died at the age of 49 and his father passed away at 51 due to a heart attack. “They didn’t know then what they know today about the dangers of high cholesterol. I had no idea what was in store for me.”
After retiring from the Navy, Larry returned to school, completed an MBA and a Ph.D. (finance), and began his academic career. Unfortunately, the less active lifestyle led to him ballooning to 278lbs, developing high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and type II diabetes. Larry began dieting and exercising but was unable to get his weight below 235lbs.
Prather was eventually diagnosed with familial hyperlipidemia, which is a genetic disorder that causes high levels of fats in the blood. Specifically, it raises your LDL or “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Too much of these in your blood can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. He took statins, a class of drugs that lower cholesterol, for roughly 30 years.
Then, in 2018, he decided to get his first official heart scan, a noninvasive imaging test that measures the amount of calcium in the walls of your coronary arteries. A good coronary calcium score is zero, which indicates no calcium deposits in the heart. A lower score generally means a lower risk of heart disease. Larry’s initial score was 1400!
Chris Hayes, M.D., a primary care physician at INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Edmond East, was his doctor then - and still is today. “I was obviously concerned about these results and referred him to a cardiologist. But we also addressed the lifestyle changes he needed to make to try to get his cholesterol and calcium numbers under control.” Larry says, “Dr. Hayes is a fantastic physician who never fails to provide sage advice.”
He began walking four miles a day and consuming healthier foods. Dr. Hayes encouraged him to have another heart scan in 2023. Both men expected to see a significant improvement in his calcium score. “I was shocked,” exclaims Larry! “My score actually got worse. I went from 1400 to 2300 in five years!”
| 0 | No identifiable calcium deposits |
| 1-10 | Low Risk. Less than 10% chance of heart disease |
| 11-99 | MILD calcium deposits |
| 100-399 | MODERATE calcium deposits |
| 400-999 | SEVERE calcium deposits |
| 1000+ | 25% chance of heart attack within a year |
Mao referred Larry to Craig Elkins, M.D., a cardiovascular thoracic surgeon with INTEGRIS Health Cardiovascular Physicians at the INTEGRIS Health Heart Hospital. He performed a quadruple bypass on Prather. “Dr. Elkins and his assistant Betsy Severance are top notch! They did a phenomenal job and really took great care of me.”
“Given Larry’s strong family history of heart disease, we knew heart bypass surgery was necessary to prevent further complications,” states Elkins. “However, his success post-surgery was largely attributed to his dedication and participation in cardiac rehab. This commitment not only accelerated recovery but also allowed him to take control of his heart health, significantly improving long-term outcomes.”
“I had a good experience as far as open-heart surgery is concerned,” says Prather. “Everyone at INTEGRIS Health has been phenomenal. I have particularly enjoyed the cardiac rehabilitation program. It has literally changed my life. The specific diet information, tailored workout routine, education program and support from Tiffany Schick and her crew have been a blessing.”
INTEGRIS Health Edmond Cardiac Rehabilitation is a supervised program that includes exercise, lifestyle changes, education and emotional support for people who have had a heart attack, bypass surgery or other heart problems. Larry is currently in Phase III of the five-phase program. “I have lost more weight, built muscle and increased my stamina. I am now in the 180s and have brought my cholesterol and triglyceride levels way down. INTEGRIS Health has greatly improved my quality of life and no doubt given me more time to share with my wife, Linda, of 52 years, my two grown children and my five grandkids.”
This National Heart Month, Larry offers this advice to anyone who will listen. “Go get a heart scan. It is the best 50 bucks you will ever spend - because it might just save your life.”
Click here to learn more, or call 405-951-5000 to schedule your heart scan today.
The new INTEGRIS Health Heart Hospital at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center will help Oklahomans for many generations to come!
