Taylor Swift Raising Awareness of Heart Disease and Nuclear Stress Testing

Scott and Taylor Swift (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)

Last week, Taylor Swift shared that her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, underwent quintuple bypass surgery after a nuclear stress test revealed severe coronary artery disease. Speaking on the New Heights podcast, Taylor said that her father is now “doing incredibly well” and that he would want her to share what he has learned from the experience.

ASNC sends wishes for a successful recovery to Mr. Swift.

“The most important thing is that Mr. Swift received a timely diagnosis and was successfully treated,” says ASNC President Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, MD. “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.”

On the podcast, Taylor shared that her father previously had “a perfect EKG every year that he’s gone in to get his physicals, but what found his 5 heart blockages was a resting stress test.” She noted that her father has been raising awareness among his friends about the value of stress testing.

“My family and I have been Swifties for a long time,” says ASNC President-elect Jamieson M. Bourque, MD, MHS, FASNC, “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.”

ASNC’s patient guide to nuclear stress testing is available for you to share with your patients and colleagues. 

Patient Guide