Scan of Sheriff’s Heart Shows 1 Blocked Artery : Medicine: Jim Roache says he will alter diet, quit smoking. Doctor says sheriff is in ‘excellent health.’

San Diego Sheriff Jim Roache has vowed to change his diet after undergoing a heart scan Friday at Sharp Memorial Hospital that revealed a blocked artery.

Roache’s doctor, Sidney Smith, noticed a slight abnormality in the sheriff’s electrocardiogram earlier this year and on Friday scheduled a catheterization--the insertion of a catheter into his heart arteries to check for blockage.

Smith, the chief of cardiology at Sharp, discovered that Roache’s right coronary artery was blocked during the inspection, which took about 30 minutes.

After the procedure, Smith advised Roache to stay away from certain foods because his family has a history of high cholesterol and arteriosclerosis.

“My West Virginia diet finally caught up with me,” Roache, 45, said Friday in a press release distributed to quell rumors that he had suffered a heart attack.

“Chicken-fried steak and buttered potatoes are a thing of the past,” he said in the release. “Now I get to experience the unparalleled joys of oatmeal muffins and poached fish. Goodby cheese, hello beans.”

The sheriff, who was released from the hospital Friday afternoon, said he also will quit smoking.

Roache will not need surgery, Smith said, because the sheriff has strong “collateral” arteries on the sides of his heart that allow normal blood flow.

“There’s no need for angioplasty or bypass surgery,” he said. “All indications are that (Roache) is in excellent health.”

Sheriff’s spokesman Dan Greenblat said Roache had scheduled the heart scan more than a month ago. He said it was wrong to link the sheriff’s heart problems with recent stress brought about by the shooting death of one deputy and the accidental motorcycle death of another officer.

Deputy Michael Stanewich was shot and killed by another deputy July 3 in an attempted armed robbery of an Encinitas home. A 10 1/2-year veteran, Stanewich had beaten the owner of the home, purportedly looking for cash in his safe.

Greenblat acknowledged that Roache woke up the night of the shooting and complained to his wife of stomach pains.

“He had a knotted stomach from the stress,” Greenblat said. “He never had chest pains or a heart attack. Someone he had known for years was dead, and someone else he had known for years killed him. He had two face-to-face meetings with the widow. He had a late press conference. We had a light dinner at midnight. He just couldn’t let go of all the stress.”

According to Smith, Roache has reduced his cholesterol count from 330 last year to 230 this year, but 200 is a borderline number under which Roache has been advised to stay.

“Back in May, Sheriff Roache became interested in the risk factors for people with his family history,” he said. “He was very proactive about his health. You must credit him with taking action.”

Greenblat said Roache will be back in the office Monday.