Jennifer Matthews: Ellazer Holland walks with a purpose. This treadmill could save his life.
Ellazer Holland: They found out I was having problem with my heart, so they said I had to come over and see Dr. Bailey.
Jennifer Matthews: Ellazer is taking a new test called T-wave Alternans. While he walks a special computer picks up microscopic changes in his heartbeat that could be life-threatening.
Dr. Russ Bailey: These changes are usually so subtle that on a standard EKG or a standard treadmill test you or I cannot see that.
Jennifer Matthews: Though microscopic, the changes put Ellazer at risk for sudden death. A condition that kills more than 300,000 people a year.
Dr. Russ Bailey says the new test is one of the best tools for heading off sudden death in patients who had a prior heart-attack. Wealth problems or weakness of the heart.
Dr. Russ Bailey: Other means of assessing those patients have not been very good at identifying where that they might at risk. This tool certainly shows promise.
Jennifer Matthews: Ellazer needed an Implantable Defibrillator, a device that could save his life if it heart stops.
Ellazer Holland: It won't let it get too low and too high, it let me know what's going on, so I feel real good about it.
Jennifer Matthews: A life-saving tool that keeps him looking forward to his walks.
This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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