Cardiac CT Scans and Coronary Calcium Scores

CAT scans to detect early blockages of the arteries of your heart:
In this quick test that lasts seconds no iv contrast is used. The amount of calcium in the arteries of the heart is detected and a score is given. When we say calcium in the heart we are referring to actual cholesterol plaques that have built up in your arteries. The earlier that these are detected the sooner that changes can be made in your diet and lifestyle to help prevent progression of these plaques. Knowing your calcium score will give you an idea of how you compare to your peers and help your physician decide on appropriate therapy. In general a calcium score of zero is associated with a low risk of significant heart blockages while a score of 400 or greater is associated with a much higher risk of significant blockages. Prevention is the key to a long and happy life and therefore this simple test has become an increasingly valuable tool in the screening of patient at low to intermediate risk of heart blockages. If you have a strong family history of heart disease, are a diabetic, have high blood pressure, smoke cigarettes, or have high cholesterol or are overweight then discuss with your doctor this screening test.
In this CAT scan exam and i.v. is placed in a vein and contrast is injected. The procedure lasts several minutes and you may feel a warm sensation during the injection. This sensation will last briefly and is normal. The CAT scan via computer will reconstruct images of your heart which unlike the Calcium score will now give more detailed images of the cross section of the arteries of your heart. This will give your physician actual degrees of obstruction the arteries of your heart. When CTA images are compared to the invasive cardiac catheterization done at the hospital the correlation is exact in over 90% of the cases. Therefore when used in appropriate circumstances it may obviate the need for invasive cardiac catheterization.