Calcium Scoring-CT Screening and Heart Health

Many people are not aware that they are at risk heart disease. Now there is a test that everyone can take that measures someone's risk simply by assessing the calcium around the heart.
Dr. Steven Bailey a cardiologist with UT-HSC San Antonio indicated that if someone has high cholesterol, smokes, has diabetes, or has a family history of heart disease then that person is at higher risk for heart disease.
The Calcium Scoring-CT Screening procedure looks at the calcium on the outside of the arteries. The calcium gets deposited at that can be an early warning for the possible blockage of arteries.
The Calcium Scoring-CT Screening procedure will give everyone a score at the end of the screening. A score of 0 means you have a very low chance of developing heart disease within the next 10 years. However, a score from 10 to 400 means that you have a moderate risk while anything over 400 means that you have a increased risk.
If the Calcium Scoring-CT Screening is not available then you can also opt for the CT angiogram. This procedure allows a contrast die to be infused into the artery and then you can see both the inside as well as the outside of the artery.
The key point of the this blog is that if you are risk with the any of the previously mentioned conditions then talk to your family physician. Second, be proactive and have one of the screening procedures done.

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