Heart Scan

A Heart Scan is a fast, painless and extremely accurate test that identifies calcium in your heart's arteries. Calcium deposits could be an indicator of heart disease.

Heart disease, or atherosclerosis, is caused when plaque (fatty material) builds up in the walls of the vessels that supply blood to the heart. Over time, calcium in the body causes the plaque to harden. This is commonly referred to as hardening of the arteries. In time, the plaque can cause narrowing or blockages in the vessels, leading to a heart attack.

Convenient test can be a predictor of heart attack

A Heart Scan is a convenient non-invasive test that detects calcium deposits in the heart's arteries. It is a form of computed tomography (CT) that scans the heart and then slices the image into sections. This allows your doctor to check for the presence of calcified (hard) plaque. Calcified plaque has been shown to be a predictor of heart disease and heart attack. Research has indicated that a Heart Scan may also identify a risk of heart attack in adults who are otherwise healthy and don't have the usual risk factors for heart disease.

Common risk factors include:

A family history of heart disease
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Smoking
Diabetes
Inactive lifestyle
Overweight
Stress

Your Heart Scan results

Using the most advanced CT technology available, the Heart Scan takes hundreds of images of your heart in just over one minute. It then checks for calcium deposits. If calcium is detected, it measures the amount present and generates a report with your calcium score. The higher the score, the more calcium is present in your heart's arteries.

The results of a Heart Scan will be reviewed by a cardiologist and radiologist and you'll receive a detailed printout of your test results. You can take the results back to your physician and discuss ways improve your heart health.

To schedule a Heart Scan

To make an appointment for a Heart Scan, or for more information, call 651-326-4000.