HEART HEALTH
ANTI-AGING AND PREVENTION
Calcium scoring
Cardiac CT is a fast and reasonably non-invasive and low radiation scan to assess atherosclerosis (“clogging up”) of coronary arteries (blood supply for heart).
2 components are being assessed:
- calcium scoring to measure calcified atheroma (amount of cholesterol plaque) in the coronary arteries
- CT angiography assesses how potent are coronary vessels to supply enough blood to the heart, if any narrowing, misshaping or other potential hazards on a way of blood flow from any cause.
Besides cardiologist (heart specialist) who assess heart, images also reviewed by radiologist (image specialist) to make sure that other nearby organs also assessed.
What information we get from calcium scoring?
Quantitative assessment of heart risk (exact number of individual risk). For example, score of zero in patients over 45 excludes coronary artery disease (which is the most common cause of death).
Who would benefit from calcium score?
- asymptomatic patients
- aged over 40 years (when 1st changes are expected and preventative health is the most efficient)
- at intermediate risk of coronary artery disease or with a family history of coronary artery disease
How long the appointment for calcium scoring takes?
Similar to other images, all under 1 hour together with registration, payment etc. Some services are available on Saturdays. If something concerning, doctors discuss the patient over the phone straight away, but in non-urgent cases the report takes 1-2 days.
