Coronary calcium score testing A personalised approach to predicting heart attack risk What is a Calcium Score Scan? This is a specialised CT scan test which provides pictures of your heart and allows your doctor to detect and measure the amount of calcium deposits in plaque inside the arteries that give blood supply to your heart.
Why look at the plaque in your heart arteries? The plaque in your heart arteries is composed of fats, cholesterols, calcium and other cells from the blood. The plaque deposits in or on the walls of the arteries can eventually grow and restrict the flow of blood to the heart muscle, causing chest pain. The plaques can also burst, triggering a blood clot which can cause a heart attack.
Fig 1. Absence of coronary calcification (calcium score=0)
The calcium score scan is an imaging test which can take an early look at the amount of calcified plaque present in your heart arteries.
Your doctor or cardiologist may order this scan if they would like a better understanding and can personalise your risk of heart disease beyond what is estimated by the usual risk factor assessment (i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol), or if there is
uncertainty about your treatment.
Should I have a scan?
How does the Calcium Score scan predict risk?
You should consider having a scan if you have one or more of the following: • If you have a close family member who has had a heart attack at a young age • Your blood cholesterol levels are elevated and you want to know if plaque is present before starting statin medication • You are over 40 years of age • You have high blood pressure • You have diabetes
The absence of coronary calcium is associated with a very low risk of a cardiovascular event, estimated to be less than 1% over a 10 to 15 year period.
The CT scanner takes multiple images of calcium deposits and can provide a measure of how much plaque has accumulated. A calcium score is calculated, and when combined with other health information and risk factors for heart disease, it can refine a treatment plan to reduce your risk of a cardiovascular event.
An elevated coronary calcium score may suggest you are at increased risk of a heart attack. This may warrant the use of a cholesterol pill (statin) and or a low dose aspirin, to lower your risk.
Is there any risk involved? The CT scan for the calcium score does not require a contrast (dye) injection and only requires a very small amount of radiation, in a dose similar to a mammogram and is therefore considered safe.
Local experience and expertise you can trust Dr Ruvin Gabriel
Dr Wil Harrison
Fig 2. Extensive coronary calcification of the left anterior descending artery (calcium score =786)
Dr Tim Sutton
Dr Niels van Pelt
When should I not have a scan? You should not have a scan if: • You are under the age of 40 years • You already have a diagnosis of heart disease • You already have a previous abnormal calcium score • You are aware that you are at very high risk of heart disease
Does my health insurance cover the cost of a Coronary Calcium Score Scan? Some of the health insurance companies in NZ, cover the cost of a coronary calcium score scan. Please check with your insurance provider to determine whether or not they do.
How do I arrange to have a Coronary Calcium Score Scan? Your GP or cardiologist at the Auckland Heart Group can organise a Coronary Calcium Score Scan for you. The scans are done at Mercy Hospital in Epsom presently and will soon be available in Botany. Please phone Auckland Heart Group at our Ormiston Hospital Clinic for more information. Direct Dial: 09 623 4731. Fax referral: 09 277 6402.
Drs Gabriel, Harrison, Sutton and Van Pelt are cardiologists at Middlemore Hospital and provide a private cardiology service with the Auckland Heart Group at Ormiston Hospital. They are committed to providing comprehensive assessments and management of outpatients and in-patients at Ormiston Hospital including exercise treadmill tests, echocardiography and vascular ultrasound, stress echocardiography, heart and blood pressure monitoring. The Auckland Heart Group is an Affiliated Provider to Southern Cross Health Society and has Healthcare Partnerships with Sovereign and nib.
To find out more, talk to our team on 09 623 1020 or 09 623 4731 ahg@heartgroup.co.nz www.heartgroup.co.nz 125 Ormiston Road, Botany Junction, Auckland 01951-v2
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eastlife | october 2016 |
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