New Test Detects Calcium Buildup

For breast cancer it’s a mammogram, for colon cancer a colonoscopy—but for heart disease, there is no safe and effective screening test. The cardiac catheterization test traditionally used to find blockages around the heart is an invasive procedure with too much radiation and risk to be done regularly.

However, if you’re at greater-than-average risk for developing heart disease, cardiac calcium scoring may be useful. “It’s done with a CT scan, which involves less radiation than angiography,” says radiologist James Newcomb, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

If you’re healthy or already have diagnosed heart disease, cardiac calcium scoring is not appropriate. “This test is for people with risk factors,” says Newcomb’s colleague, family medicine physician Christine Chen, M.D. (see box).

Here’s how the test works. Over time, the soft plaque that builds up in arteries turns into hard calcium. The CT scan locates areas of calcium buildup and calculates a score. “The higher your score, the more calcium in your arteries, possibly increasing your risk for a heart attack,” says Michael Rossi, M.D., a cardiologist at the hospital. This information can help your doctor determine the best treatment.

The test isn’t perfect, and the $200-$250 cost is not covered by insurance. However, talk to your doctor about cardiac calcium scoring if you have any risk factors for heart disease, Rossi says: “It may be the best way to pick up silent coronary artery disease and start treatment before something happens.”

Want to Know More about lowering your cholesterol or about other heart tests? Call 610-402-CARE. Click here for a listing of Heart Health classes.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, May-June 2008

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