AMERICAN RADIOLOGY SERVICES

Calcium Scores Help Detect Heart Disease

By: ARS Communications

Do you have any of the following risk factors: high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, over the age of 55, and/or early menopause? If you answered yes to any of these, you may be at risk for heart disease.

Calcium Scoring is a simple, non-invasive procedure that looks for calcium deposits in the arteries that feed and surround the heart. With the recent surge in awareness of developing CT technology and heart imaging, American Radiology Services has been providing Calcium Scoring exams at our facilities.

For this exam, patients are positioned on the CT scanner, and then images are obtained through the region of the heart. Patients are required to hold their breath for a short amount of time while the scanning takes place. No injections or medications are needed to have this exam performed.

A score is calculated based on the amount of calcifications seen on the scan. The score can be an indication if a patient is at risk for a cardiac event. This exam does not evaluate for soft plaque. However, this exam does evaluate for the calcified plaques (hard plaque) that are already formed. If calcium deposits are detected in the arteries around the heart, they can often be treated.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 443.436.4037 or request an appointment online at www.americanradiology.com.