Heart Scan/Coronary Calcium Scoring
CT for Patients at Risk of Suffering a Heart Attack
If you would like to know if you are at risk for heart disease consider undergoing a CT Coronary Calcium Scoring exam. Such an examination will tell you about the calcium load in your coronary arteries, a known predictor of the risk for a heart attack, and can indicate the presence or absence of lesions called "plaques" which may cause narrowing of these arteries, reducing blood supply to the heart muscle, which may lead to a heart attack. Only early diagnosis can ensure timely measures to reduce the risk factors and follow-up treatment if necessary to help prevent the onset of heart disease.
The CT scanner takes several images of the heart's major arteries and identifies the presence or lack of calcium within the major vessels. A positive coronary calcium score result serves as a good indicator of the risk for certain types of heart attack. A negative calcium score result is a good indicator that coronary vessels are intact.
Who is a high-risk person?
- You have a high cholesterol level
- You have high triglyceride values
- You smoke
- You have high blood pressure
- You are hereditarily at risk
- You have diabetes
- Any of the factors in combination with a sedentary lifestyle
If one or more of the above points apply to you, contact Regents Imaging to find out more about CT for early diagnosis of heart disease.
Your Heart Scan
Using a special state-of-the-art, high-speed CT scanner, we look inside the heart and its arteries for calcium build-up. Other traditional exams, such as treadmill stress tests, only help to detect restrictions of blood-flow, whereas a heart scan views the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries. This test is safe, painless and takes less than 30 minutes.
Your Results
Our specially trained radiologist will read and interpret your heart scan. The coronary artery calcification score measures the volume and distribution of calcification in the arteries of the heart. The calcium score is compared to a database of people within the same demographics group to determine risk. The results of the calcium score help to identify those at risk so that corrective measures can be taken. Equipped with this information, your personal physician can recommend lifestyle changes to help slow, stop or even reverse heart disease.
Who Should Consider a Heart Scan?
Prime candidates for a heart scan are men age 40-plus and women age 45-plus or with one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a history of cardiac disease in the family.
