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Key Points
- A coronary calcium scan is a test that can help
show whether you have
coronary
artery disease (CAD).
- Coronary calcium scanning looks for specks of
calcium (called calcifications) in the walls of the coronary arteries.
Calcifications are an early sign of heart disease.
- This test is most useful for people who are at
moderate risk for a
heart
attack. You or your doctor can calculate your 10-year risk using the
Risk
Assessment Tool from the National Cholesterol Education Program. People at
moderate risk have a 10 to 20 percent chance of having a heart attack within
the next 10 years.
- The coronary calcium scan may help doctors decide
who within the moderate risk group needs treatment.
- No special preparation is needed before a
coronary calcium scan.
- Coronary calcium scans are done in a hospital or
outpatient office. The x-ray machine that’s used is called a computed
tomography (CT) scanner.
- A coronary calcium scan takes about 5 to 10
minutes. During the scan, you will lie quietly on your back, while the CT
scanner takes pictures of your heart.
- You’re able to return to your normal
activities after the scan is done.
- The test is negative if there are no
calcifications in your coronary arteries. This means your chance of having a
heart attack in the next 2 to 5 years is low.
- The test is positive if calcifications are found
in your coronary arteries. Calcifications are a sign of
atherosclerosis
and CAD.
- After the scan, you will receive a calcium score
called an Agatston score. The higher the score, the greater the amount of
atherosclerosis or plaque buildup.
- Use this
calculator (from the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) to see whether your Agatston score
is high.
- Coronary calcium scanning has very few risks. The
test usually isn’t invasive, which means that no surgery is done and no
instruments are inserted into your body. Coronary calcium scan doesn’t
require the injection of contrast dye to make your heart or arteries visible on
the x-ray images. If you need medicine to slow down your heartbeat during the
scan, it may be injected into a vein.
- Because an x-ray machine is involved, you will be
exposed to a small amount of radiation. The amount of radiation is less than or
equal to the amount of radiation you’re naturally exposed to in a single
year.
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What Are the Risks Links
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