| We have heard the stories about a friend who visits | | | | calcium score. |
| his doctor and has a clean bill of health. Two days later | | | | However, heart scans are still controversial. First they |
| he dies of a massive heart attack and you do not | | | | are not for everyone. |
| understand how or why this happened. Your friend | | | | What' is more, it is still unclear whether heart scans |
| was active, played handball regularly, he was thin, and | | | | should be used widely. Routine use of heart scans on |
| he ate fish. His total cholesterol was a little high but his | | | | people who do not have any symptoms of heart |
| good cholesterol was very good. He was taking a low | | | | disease is also not recommended by the American |
| dose of medication to keep his blood pressure down | | | | Heart Association or the American College of |
| for about a year and that was working. What | | | | Cardiology. |
| happened? | | | | They report that a heart scan is not useful if you have |
| Blood pressure and cholesterol levels are reliable | | | | a low heart attack risk. For example, if you are |
| gauges of how much at risk you are for heart disease. | | | | younger than 55 years old, have normal cholesterol |
| However, the amount of calcium in your coronary | | | | and blood pressure levels and do no't smoke, your |
| arteries and how it is affecting your blood flow may | | | | heart attack risk is less than 10 percent and a heart |
| be an even better way of predicting who is most likely | | | | scan is not going to tell your doctor something he does |
| to have a heart attack unless they get on medication | | | | not already know. On the other hand if you are at high |
| therapy. | | | | risk because you are over 65, your cholesterol is high |
| The problem is that someone who is asymptomatic, in | | | | and so is your blood pressure, the heart scan may not |
| good shape, active and eats well is not sending any | | | | do you much good either because you and your |
| red flares that something is wrong. Without any | | | | doctor already know you are at high risk. |
| symptoms such as shortness of breath or high blood | | | | If on the other hand, you fall somewhere between the |
| pressure even with medication, there is no indication | | | | two and have borderline high cholesterol or high blood |
| that he needs a heart scan, also known as Coronary | | | | pressure you may find having a heart scan will give |
| Calcium Scans. | | | | you valuable information. You will be able to tell more |
| Heart scans use noninvasive techniques that measure | | | | precisely what your risk of CAD is. |
| the amount of calcium in the walls of your coronary | | | | The theory behind using heart scans is that the more |
| arteries, the arteries that supply your heart with blood. | | | | calcification you have, the worse your heart disease. |
| One of the goals of cardiac CT for calcium scoring is | | | | Part of the theory is that even having small amounts |
| to determine if coronary artery disease, CAD, is | | | | of calcium might indicate you could go on to develop |
| present and to what extent, even if there are no | | | | heart disease unless you take aggressive measures |
| symptoms. It is a screening for patients with risk | | | | to stop it such as reducing your cholesterol and living a |
| factors for CAD but no clinical symptoms because | | | | more healthy lifestyle. |
| having calcium in the walls of your arteries could mean | | | | However, having calcium in your coronary arteries |
| you have coronary artery disease, a major cause of | | | | does not mean you have heart disease. How much do |
| heart attacks. CAD takes place when plaque builds up | | | | you pay attention to the dreaded false-positive |
| and narrows your arteries. | | | | results? That means there is an error on the scan. For |
| The plaques are made of fat, cholesterol and calcium. | | | | instance, if you show heart disease your doctor may |
| It is the calcium in those plaques that the CT scan | | | | request more invasive tests that would not be |
| detects. The CT scan obtains information about the | | | | necessary because there was a mistake. |
| presence, location and extent of calcified plaque in the | | | | On the other hand, the heart scan can show you are |
| coronary arteries. The amount of calcium that is | | | | free of calcium and that does not mean you absolutely |
| present is used to calculate a score that, when | | | | do not have heart disease. The plaques that build up in |
| combined with your other health information, helps to | | | | your arteries start out as soft and only become |
| determine your risk of coronary heart disease or heart | | | | calcified over time. So your arteries can be clogged |
| attack. The result of this test is called a coronary | | | | but the scan cannot detect them. |