What is CT Calcium Scoring?

By Raymond R. Groller, M.D.

February is American Heart Month and the Delaney Radiology team invites everyone to take a moment to think about their own heart health.

The heart has a tough job of pumping healthy blood all over the body so that every organ and muscle work properly. To do this, the heart needs its own constant healthy blood supply delivered in its own arteries (called coronary arteries).

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and diseases of the heart’s arteries are the most common cause of heart disease. Due to lifestyle, age, family risk factors, and certain medical conditions, clogs or plaques can form in your arteries and slow the blood flow to your heart (much like clogs in your home plumbing that can slow the drainage in your sink). If the heart’s blood supply slows or stops, the heart pumping can slow or stop – this is what we know as a “heart attack”. Luckily, we have many tools and tests to detect early heart disease before it leads to a “heart attack”.

One of these tests is a CT calcium score used to test the health of your heart’s arteries. CT calcium score is a quick, easy test that can be performed in minutes and involves no needles and no blood test.

CT calcium score can detect plaques in the heart arteries and compare your “score” to others in your age group. This can give you and your doctor valuable information to help discuss lifestyle and medication changes to protect your heart.

Along with the American Heart Association, we invite everybody to have a discussion with their doctors focusing on heart health. If your doctor recommends a CT calcium score, have them refer you to the compassionate and professional team at Delaney Radiology.

 

*CT Calcium Scoring is available to patients with a referral for $100.