Cardiology group thanks Taylor Swift for spreading word about nuclear stress testing
The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) is thanking Taylor Swift for speaking publicly about her father’s successful heart surgery after a nuclear stress test confirmed he had severe coronary artery disease.
Taylor appeared on the New Heights podcast hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce to discuss a wide variety of topics, including her newest album, The Life of a Showgirl. It was her first podcast appearance ever, and it has already racked up more than 20 million views on YouTube alone.
One of the topics Taylor discussed was the heart health of her father, Scott Kingsley Swift. He underwent a successful quintuple bypass surgery and is now said to be recovering as well as can be. As Taylor explained it, her dad had undergone one “perfect” EKG after another over the years. However, when he underwent a nuclear stress test, his care team identified five separate heart blockages that required treatment. Taylor even noted that her dad has now morphed into bit of an advocate for stress tests, encouraging others to consider getting one.
“My family and I have been Swifties for a long time,” ASNC President-elect Jamieson M. Bourque, MD, a cardiac imaging specialist with UVA Health, said in a statement. “And I have an enormous respect for Taylor. I appreciate her sharing her father’s patient experience and highlighting the importance of nuclear stress testing in the evaluation of ischemic heart disease. Her unparalleled ability to reach the public means that a lot of people who had never heard of nuclear stress testing now know it can lead to life-saving treatment.”
“The most important thing is that Mr. Swift received a timely diagnosis and was successfully treated,” added ASNC President Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, MD, director of the nuclear cardiology laboratory at Mayo Clinic. “We also want to extend our thanks to Taylor for using her extraordinary platform to make the public aware of cardiovascular disease and the importance of appropriate diagnostic testing with nuclear stress testing.”
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.