Donald Gross Sr.

Donald Helsman 
Nov. 15, 1992 
Donald A. Helsman, 77, Of Allenwood, Rd 1, Died Sunday In The Evangelical 
Community Hospital, Lewisburg.

By LEANORA MINAI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, November 19, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1D QUICK WORDS: HEART ATTACKS GENERAL
HOSPITAL 





WILKES-BARRE -- F.W. is 54 years old. After lunch one day, he had his
cholesterol tested at a shopping mall. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The results were normal, but his family had a history of heart disease, the
leading cause of death in Americans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What should F.W. do to see if he's at risk for a heart attack or stroke? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dr. James Maciejko, director of lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis at
Sinai Hospital in Detroit told more than 50 doctors and nurses Wednesday at
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital that new tests, which will be available soon,
can diagnose whether people, like F.W., are at risk. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We're trying to identify subsets of patients who may be at risk for
hardening arteries that can't be identified through the simple tests,"
Maciejko said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The new tests are expected to increase by 10 to 15 percent the ability to
identify those at risk for heart disease. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Traditional cholesterol screenings test the level of cholesterol and
triglycerides, which are fats, in blood, he said. When the fats are high in
content, arteries harden. This can cause heart attacks and strokes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "What we're finding now is that it's not so much the level," he said. "It's
how the body metabolizes or handles the trigylcerides." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre General has the equipment for the tests but has yet to decide
which equipment to use for the testing, said George Grinaway, a pathologist in
the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Wilkes-Barre General. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think it's phenomenal," he said. "There will be a group of people
walking around thinking they're not at risk. With this test we can pick up
half of those who were missed in the initial screening." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Maciejko is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a fellow on
the council of Arteriosclerosis of the American Heart Association. He is an
associate professor of internal medicine at Wayne State University School of
Medicine in Detroit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Maciejko will talk about the new tests at noon today in the Saidman Hall of
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TRIMMED HERE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There will be a group of people walking around thinking they're not at
risk. With this test we can pick up half of those who were missed in the
initial screening. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dr. James Maciejko &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Director of lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis at Sinai Hospital in
Detroit

New Tests Can Spot Heart Risks, Doctor Says 
Procedures Will Find 
Problems Current Tests 
May Miss, Noted Physician Tells Health Professionals At W-b General

New Tests Can Spot Heart Risks, Doctor Says Procedures Will Find Problems Current Tests May Miss, Noted Physician Tells Health Professionals At W-b General