Cardiac Calcium Scoring
Mat-Su Regional Medical Center provides cardiac calcium scoring, which is also known as a heart scan or calcium score. It's a non-invasive CT scan of the heart used to calculate your risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) by measuring the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries are the vessels that supply oxygen containing blood to the heart. The plaque that may be found in these arteries is a build-up of fat, calcium and other substances that can either narrow or close the arteries. Some symptoms of plaque build-up in these arteries may be chest pain, arm tingle or back pain.
This test may help to identify the build-up of plaque in the arteries, or arteriosclerosis, in patients who have the early stages of heart disease and may not be exhibiting symptoms. Arteriosclerosis is a major contributor to heart disease. If diagnosed, arteriosclerosis can be halted and, in some cases, reversed.
The 5-minute cardiac scoring test requires no preparation and results are often available within an hour. This simple and painless test provides your physician with two key pieces of information - the presence or absence of coronary calcium in your heart and the degree of calcification in your heart.
Following the test, your doctor will review the results with you and provide a personalized report that includes cardiac images, information about your heart health and tips for living a healthy lifestyle. Based on the findings and other risk factors, your physician may make recommendations concerning lifestyle changes to help manage stress, reduce hypertension, achieve heart healthy nutrition, or prescribe medication or the need for additional cardiac testing.
Cardiac scoring is especially recommended for patients who are at risk for heart disease. If you have any of the following risk factors, ask your doctor about cardiac scoring at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.
- High cholesterol
- Family history of heart disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- History of smoking
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Overweight
- Male between the ages of 35-70
- Female between the ages of 40-70