Overview
A coronary heart scan, often known as a coronary calcium scan, is a specialised X-ray check that gives photos of your coronary heart that may assist your physician detect and measure calcium-containing plaque within the arteries.
Plaque contained in the arteries of your coronary heart can develop and limit blood circulate to the muscle tissues of the center. Measuring calcified plaque with a coronary heart scan might enable your physician to establish potential coronary artery illness earlier than you’ve gotten indicators and signs.
Your physician will use your check outcomes to find out if you happen to may have treatment or life-style modifications to cut back the danger of coronary heart assault or different coronary heart issues.
Why it is completed
Your physician might order a coronary heart scan to get a greater understanding of your threat of coronary heart illness or in case your therapy plan is unsure.
A coronary heart scan makes use of a specialised X-ray know-how referred to as multidetector row or multislice computerized tomography (CT), which creates a number of photographs of plaque deposits within the blood vessels. The imaging check offers an early have a look at ranges of plaque.
Plaque is made up of fat, ldl cholesterol, calcium and different substances within the blood. It develops regularly over time, lengthy earlier than there are any indicators or signs of illness. These deposits can limit the circulate of oxygen-rich blood to the muscle tissues of the center. Plaque additionally might burst, triggering a blood clot that may trigger a coronary heart assault.
When is a coronary heart scan used?
A coronary heart scan might assist information therapy when you’ve got a low to average threat of coronary heart illness or in case your coronary heart illness threat is not clear. Your physician can inform you if you happen to may profit from having a coronary heart scan primarily based in your threat components.
A coronary heart scan additionally might assist inspire individuals at average threat to make essential life-style modifications and observe therapy plans.
When is a coronary heart scan not used?
A coronary heart scan requires publicity to radiation. Whereas the publicity is mostly thought-about protected, the scan is not really helpful if the danger of radiation publicity outweighs any potential profit.
In keeping with the American Faculty of Cardiology and the American Coronary heart Affiliation tips, a coronary heart scan will not be really helpful for the next individuals:
Dangers
Coronary heart scans use X-ray know-how, which require radiation publicity. The quantity of publicity is mostly thought-about protected — about the identical quantity of radiation you are naturally uncovered to in a 12 months.
A warning on walk-in coronary heart scan clinics
Some medical services and walk-in facilities might promote coronary heart scans as a simple method to measure your threat of a coronary heart assault. Services that promote coronary heart scans for most people do not require a referral from a physician. You possibly can stroll in and get the scan.
Nevertheless, the results of a coronary heart scan should not be used as a single predictor of your general well being and threat of coronary heart illness. It is best used when mixed with different well being data.
Issues with walk-in coronary heart scan clinics embrace:
The way you put together
When scheduling your coronary heart scan appointment, ask these questions:
Meals and medicines
You might be requested to keep away from caffeine and smoking for 4 hours earlier than the check.
Clothes and private gadgets
If you arrive for the process, you’ll be requested to take away clothes above the waist and to put on a medical robe. Additionally, you will have to take away jewellery round your neck or close to your chest.
What you may anticipate – “calcium heart scan”
Through the process
Earlier than the scan begins, the technician attaches sensors, referred to as electrodes, to your chest. These connect with an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which data your coronary heart exercise through the examination and coordinates the timing of X-ray photos between heartbeats, when the center muscle tissues are relaxed.
Through the coronary heart scan, you lie in your again on a movable desk, which slides into the tubelike CT scanner. Your head is outdoors the scanner the entire time. The examination room will possible be cool.
You might be given treatment both by tablet or injection that slows your coronary heart. This helps guarantee clear photographs. If you’re nervous or anxious, you might be given treatment that can assist you stay calm.
You may be requested to lie nonetheless and maintain your breath for just a few seconds whereas the photographs are taken. The technician operates the scanner from a room subsequent door, however can see and discuss to you your complete time. The whole process ought to take about 10 to fifteen minutes.
After the process
Normally, no particular precautions are wanted after having a coronary heart scan. It is best to be capable of drive your self dwelling and proceed your every day actions.
Outcomes
The results of the check is often given as a quantity referred to as an Agatston rating. The rating displays the whole space of calcium deposits and the density of the calcium.
You additionally might obtain a percentile rating, which signifies your quantity of calcium in comparison with individuals of the identical age and intercourse.
Discussing outcomes together with your physician
Your physician will focus on the outcomes of the center scan with you. Relying on the result, a number of of the next methods could also be wanted:
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