Robert Alico is a patient of ours who is making a difference through his commitment to fund research into an little known condition called SCAD …Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. Through his effort, Robert has been begun this much needed discussion, brought about awareness, and provided funds to promote research. Below….is his open letter to the Scottsdale Community and our patients:
SCAD Research, Inc. is a Scottsdale based 501 (C) (3), non-profit that is incorporated in Arizona, however, it is helping patients and doctors all over the world.
SCAD stands for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, which is a cause of heart attack and death.
SCAD occurs at a ratio of about 80% women and 20% men. It is the number one cause of heart attack in pregnant women and the number one cause of heart attack in women age 40 and under. Heart attacks caused by SCAD have also increased in frequency in women during menopause.
Not long ago SCAD was unofficially known as “ sudden death heart attacks “ because approximately 50% of SCAD heart attack sufferers die from their first SCAD heart attack.
SCAD Research, Inc. was started by Scottsdale resident Bob Alico and his family after the death of his wife Judy, at age 51 and with no known risk factors for heart attack, to SCAD on January 4, 2011. After Judy’s passing, Bob and his family set out to find out about the causes of SCAD and to join any efforts to bring awareness and funding to research into the causes, treatment and possible cure for SCAD. Judy’s family did not want any other family to suffer the way they did from this virtually unknown, under diagnosed and virtually unknown and definitely undetectable cause of heart attack and death.
In their family’s search it was found that the most current and advancing research into SCAD was being done at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, under the direction of cardiologist Dr. Sharonne Hayes. After several phone conversations with Dr. Hayes, Judy’s family started SCAD RESEARCH, INC. and it was decided that they would work to bring awareness and much needed funding to the most promising SCAD research they could find and that was at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Since funding started to be sent to Dr. Hayes and her research team discoveries have started to occur, albeit small in comparison to the large population affected, none the less progress is being made. Just one example is that we now know that we have SCAD heart attacks that have occurred in people as young as 18 years old and up to 80 years old. Last year we had a 19 year old female go into instant cardiac arrest on a ski hill in Colorado just after Christmas, 2013. With the help of the local ski patrol, hospitals in Vail and Aurora, Colorado, and electronic communications with Dr. Hayes at Mayo, Rochester, as a result this young college student survived this SCAD heart attack. SCAD reoccurs in about 17% of all SCAD patients.
The photo of the check you see was the 2014 donation to Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, from SCAD RESEARCH, INC. and to date the nonprofit has donated over $135,000.
You can find out more about SCAD RESEARCH, INC. by going to www.scadresearch.org and you can find it on FaceBook, if you do please give it a “ like. “