Since Tim Russert's death, local cardiologists have seen an influx of new patients as well as many more phone calls from current patients with concerns, but is there anything patients with known risks or diagnosed heart disease can do?

"You can't help but talk about the cause when you talk about the passing," D.C. resident Dick Swetts said. "It also reminds us how short life is."

Russert's heart disease was detected 10 years ago, when he had an electron beam scan. At the time, he was identified as high risk.

"What we're looking for is coronary calcium, a proven marker for presence of early heart disease or plaque," Dr. James Ehrlich said.

CT scans are just one of many tests used to assess a patient's risk for heart disease. When patients have symptoms suggesting they might have a heart attack, doctors take an angiogram to look for unstable plaque or blockages. But angiograms don't always detect problems a week or month in advance. Doctors say the best advice is to be attuned to the signals your body is giving off.

"You need to listen to your body If something doesn't seem right to you you need to get medical attention," Dr. Stuart Seides said.

Cardiologists say most patients who have survived cardiac events like Tim Russert's report feeling off a day or two before the incident like they had indigestion or chest pain. Although the discomfort could turn out to be something minor, doctors say it's better to double check than suffer a heart attack.

They recommend people do all they can to reduce their chances for heart disease. "It can be greatly influenced by how we behave, greatly influenced by lifestyle, greatly influenced by good medical care."

It's advice many are abiding by, especially since Russert's death. "Get my checkups and try to eat healthy, which I don't all the time but I try," Landover resident Daniel Booker said.

The doctors in this report said Russert's doctors provided him with the best available treatment of the time and unfortunately even when everything is done right, sometimes there is an unfortunate outcome.