For people with certain risk factors, a heart screening can be a wise part of your healthcare plan. Your heart is your body’s most critical muscle; take care of it! Here are some factors to consider if you’re thinking about a heart screening.
Even fit, otherwise healthy people need to be vigilant about their heart health if they have a family history of heart disease.
Cardiac scoring is a non-invasive way to determine if your coronary arteries are blocked or narrowed by plaque buildup. The scan, also known as a coronary calcium scan, or Heart Scan, can detect and measure calcium-containing plaque in the arteries. The information gleaned from these scans can help your doctor understand your level of risk for a heart attack.
I lost a friend two weeks before Christmas to a heart attack.
He had just been to the doctor and given the “all’s well” diagnosis we all hope to get at our annual check-up. My friend was tall, lean, looked to be in perfect health. Yet on December 15, 2016, he drove into DC for a meeting and,
Cardiac scoring, which is sometimes referred to as a heart scan or a calcium score, is a non-invasive CT scan of the heart. The test is designed to calculate your risk of developing Coronary Artery Disease (aka CAD) by measuring the amount of calcified plaque in your coronary arteries.
Great news, America! Heart blockage and its terrible consequences of heart attack, stroke, and death have taken significantly fewer lives in the new millennium. In fact, according to National Institute of Health (NIH), “the life expectancy of the average American increased by 6.6 years; 4.7 years—over 70%—of the increase is due to reductions in deaths from cardiovascular disease.”
Typically, CT scans are used to diagnosis an illness or injury. But did you know that they can also be used as part of a preventative heart health plan? Cardiac scoring CT scans are used to provide your physician with information regarding your cardiac health by detecting the presence of calcium within your arteries. The levels found in a “heart scan”