Heart Calcium Scoring: What is it?
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PrintDon't wait for symptoms! Find out fast if you already have heart disease!
These are the facts about Cardiovascular disease:
- Number One killer of both men and women in the USA
- Almost 700,000 people yearly, 1 in every 3.5 deaths
- 785,000 people have their first heart attack every year
- Another 470,000 more have the 2nd or 3rd heart attack each year
- Over 316 billion dollars spent on heart disease in 2010
And that's why so many people are jumping at this great opportunity to get a closer look at your heart! Let me tell you a little bit more about a Heart Calcium screening is.
The purpose of the test:
To identify underlying coronary artery disease presence, EARLY, before clinical signs are evident.
(white spots above are calcium deposits in the coronary arteries)
Who should have this test done? Some who meets one or more these criteria:
- Man over 40
- Women over 45
- High blood pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Smoke
- Overweight, little or no exercise
About the Calcium scoring test:
- Find build up of plaque in the heart arteries
- Series of pictures of the heart
- Takes approximately 15 minutes
- Non-invasive and painless
- Performed with a CT scanner
- No prep needed
- Technician will have you lie on table and will attach EKG leads to your chest
- Table then moved into proper scanning position
- You may hear a quiet, fan-like sound and a beep each time a picture is taken
- Once finished, the results will be sent to you and your doctor
What the results mean:
Calcium score correlates directly with risk of events and likelihood of obstructive disease
Score of 0, indicates no disease found
Score of 1-99, indicates mild disease
Score of 100-400, indicates moderate disease
Score of >400, indicates severe disease
What to do next:
Evaulate your risk factors and modify them! Work with your health care provider on this!
- Reduce your weight
- Start to get some exercise
- Control your blood pressure
- Control your cholesterol
- Eat healthier
- control your diabetes
- Lower your stress
- Stop smoking
To call to see if you are a candidate for this test call: 920-445-7363
