Kevin Murray knows cardiac disease firsthand. The Tampa father nearly died from an undiagnosed heart condition and required emergency bypass surgery in 2003. Now 72, he says that experience changed his outlook and made him diligent about checkups.
After switching cardiologists in 2021, Murray received a cardiac CT — a fast, noninvasive 3‑D scan of the heart and coronary arteries. His own scan was clear, but because his parents and grandfather had all been diagnosed with heart disease, Murray began pressing his siblings to be screened. His brother Patrick, then 67 and experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, agreed to a scan in late 2022.
Patrick’s test showed severe arterial blockages and a high risk of a major cardiac event, and he needed immediate open‑heart surgery. That finding prompted Murray’s three other brothers to have the same scan; each was found to have advanced heart disease and required surgery or interventional procedures.
“We could avoid a real catastrophe, which is what we were on the brink of,” Murray said, describing how prompt testing likely prevented much worse outcomes.
Dr. Mark Russo, professor and chief of cardiac surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, says family history is the strongest warning sign for heart disease. People with multiple relatives affected should talk with their doctors about monitoring and screening options.
The Murray brothers were evaluated by Dr. Alberto Morales, who has used Arineta’s SpotLight cardiovascular CT scanner on about 10,000 patients. Morales says the device images the whole heart and cardiac system in seconds, uses less radiation than a full‑body CT and is noninvasive. Russo compares the cardiac CT to a mammogram for the heart because it lets clinicians visualize disease developing rather than relying only on risk markers like blood pressure and cholesterol.
With cardiac CT and a calcium score, doctors can detect disease at an earlier stage than many other tests, Russo said. Morales estimates roughly 80 percent of patients he scans have no symptoms yet are diagnosed with heart disease by the cardiac CT. He warns that people can have blockages of 80 to 90 percent without feeling any symptoms.
When disease is identified, treatment options include medications and lifestyle changes, preventive procedures such as catheterization and stenting to clear blockages, or surgery — all aimed at preventing heart attacks and other major events. In some cases, progression can be slowed or even partly reversed.
Among the Murray brothers, Larry and Michael underwent open‑heart surgery; Tim was close to what doctors call a ‘widowmaker’ heart attack and received three stents. All recovered and now follow up regularly with Morales.
Murray urges anyone with a family history of cardiovascular problems to consider a cardiac CT and has made sure his son and nephews understand their hereditary risk. Russo suggests using family gatherings as an opportunity to ask relatives about their health history.
“I was very grateful that the technology existed so they could determine that my brothers did indeed have problems,” Murray said. “Now, they’re doing fantastically well.”