CT Heart Scan ( Coronary Calcium Scan )
+ blood test package @ RM 750.00

Can a calcium scan tell me how blocked my arteries are?

CT Heart Scan ( coronary artery calcium scan - CAS)

A plaque detector or coronary artery calcium scan (CAS) will be able to tell you whether you have heart disease. It can detect heart disease at its very early stage, even before any cardiac symptoms are noticeable and even before your stress test indicate any abnormality. This is especially beneficial for those who have no symptoms but who may have one or more of the following cardiac risk factors :

1. ) age ( males above 40, females above 45 )
2. ) smoker
3. ) high cholesterol
4. ) inactive lifestyle
5. ) family history of heart disease
6. ) high blood pressure
7. ) overweight
8. ) diabetes

If you wish to find out how blocked your arteries are, a non-invasive CT Angiogram ( CTA ) will be able to do so to an accuracy of greater than 90%. This involves the use of non-ionic ( to minimize risk of allergies ) contrast or dye injected through a vein in the arm. The computer then reconstructs the images to enable you and your doctor to visualize the coronary arteries in 3D. The CTA will give valuable information to the patient and his doctor prior to a traditional invasive angiogram and is useful for certain indications depending on the condition of the individual.

A normal CTA means that the patient does not have to undergo an invasive angiogram. However an invasive angiogram may still be needed when severe obstructive coronary artery disease is diagnosed and when it is necessary to undergo angioplasty or bypass surgery.

The indications for CTA are as follows :-

- "Symptomatic" patients with mild  to moderate coronary calcification
- "Sub-clinical" patients with severe coronary calcification
- Follow-up of coronary angioplasty, coronary bypass
- Follow-up of coronary patency post MI or stent
- Assessment of coronary artery congenital or acquired anomalies
- "Low risk" patients with abnormal stress tests

It is an Computed Tomography scan of the coronary arteries ( the vessels which carry blood and oxygen to the heart muscle ).

The scanner detects and measures calcium in the coronary arteries, which is the marker for atherosclerosis ( the accumulation of cholesterol plaque in the arteries ). The test is non-invasive with no pain, using no injections, chemicals or incisions. You just lie on a table, hold your breath for a few seconds and let the scanner take pictures of your heart. The complete process only takes a few minutes.

The non-invasive CT scan (CAS) measures coronary disease in a way which many doctors now believe is more important than the percentage of blockage ( referred to as stenosis or occlusion ). The scan measures the amount of calcium plaque within your coronary arteries. This measurement indicates the level of atherosclerosis in a person, i.e., the more calcium you have, the more plaque you have and therefore the greater the chance that you will suffer a heart attack or need surgery in the future unless you take early steps to prevent this.

Many authoritative studies have shown that an CT scan is highly sensitive for detecting Coronary Artery Disease. A negative test is also a very powerful indicator that the patient does not have heart disease.