Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients.

Episode Summary

Dr. Warwick Bishop is a practicing cardiologist and author dedicated to improving patient care through heart health education. In this episode, he discusses the critical importance of accurate medical terminology in cardiac reporting, specifically addressing how the language used to describe plaque buildup in arteries can have significant consequences for patients in a primary prevention setting (those who haven't yet experienced cardiac events).

Key Takeaways:

• Primary prevention focuses on reducing risk in asymptomatic patients who have not yet experienced a heart event, while secondary prevention aims to prevent recurrence in patients who have already experienced cardiac symptoms or events.

• A disease, by definition, requires either a symptom or loss of function; asymptomatic patients with plaque buildup technically do not have a disease yet.

• Current medical practice often labels any arterial plaque as "coronary artery disease" regardless of whether the patient is in a primary or secondary prevention setting, which inappropriately blurs the distinction between these two categories.

• Labeling asymptomatic patients with "coronary artery disease" can cause significant emotional and psychological distress to proactive patients who feel perfectly well.

• Insurance disclosure requirements mean that a coronary artery disease diagnosis can result in future insurance denial, even when only minimal plaque buildup is detected.

• Patients requiring professional licensing (such as commercial pilots) may face serious career consequences if diagnosed with coronary artery disease, even if they are fit, active, and on appropriate medication.

• Dr. Bishop advocates for using the term "atheroma burden" instead of "disease" when describing plaque buildup in primary prevention patients to avoid unnecessary stigmatization and practical complications.

• Changing terminology requires professional consensus and awareness among cardiologists to ensure consistent, patient-centered reporting practices.