Comprehensive Coronary Calcium Scan Services

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Coronary Calcium Scan

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Why Get A Coronary Calcium Scan

Your heart health is precious; taking proactive steps to protect it can make all the difference. A coronary calcium scan can give your CVG cardiologist important heart health information. This simple, non-invasive test can provide valuable insights into your risk of heart disease, even before you experience any symptoms.

A coronary calcium scan uses a special X-ray to determine how much calcium has built up in your coronary arteries. This calcium indicates plaque, which can lead to artery narrowing or blockage and, in some cases, a heart attack. Getting this scan is like taking a look into your heart’s future.

You might think you’re not at risk if you feel fine or maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, heart disease can develop silently over the years, and traditional risk factors don’t always tell the whole story. A coronary calcium scan can reveal hidden risks, allowing you to take action before problems arise.

The scan itself is quick and painless. You simply lie on a table while the scanner works – no needles, dyes, or discomfort. In just a few minutes, you can gain crucial information about your heart health that could potentially save your life.

You’re taking charge of your cardiovascular health by visiting our cardiologists for a coronary calcium scan. Our experienced team can interpret your results and guide you on the best path forward. If the scan reveals calcium buildup, we can work with you to develop a personalized plan to reduce your risk and improve your heart health.

Don’t wait. Make an appointment with a cardiologist at CVG today for a coronary calcium scan. It is something you can do right now that might have far-reaching consequences for your current and future health. Your heart deserves this level of care and attention; after all, it’s been taking care of you your entire life.

Please read on for more information about coronary calcium scans and how CVG protects your heart health.

Why Get A Coronary Calcium Scan

A coronary calcium scan, also known as a heart scan or calcium scan test, is a test that uses X-ray technology better known as a computed tomography (CT) scan to assess your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. The test does this by taking pictures of the arteries that transfer blood from your heart throughout the body to check for calcium.

The calcium that this test searches for is part of a material that can buildup on your arteries known as plaque, which is composed of calcium and fatty deposits. In the beginning, this plaque has a waxy texture, but over time it can harden and become calcified.

Calcified plaque is an issue because it can clog your coronary arteries and slow blood flow, causing difficulties for oxygen-rich blood to circulate through your body. This plaque can also break open and lead to a blood clot within your blood vessels, creating high risk of a heart attack.

When To Get Checked

There are many simpler tests that can check for signs of heart disease, so a coronary calcium scan is only recommended if you have multiple risk factors for coronary artery disease. Since the test exposes you to a small dose of radiation, doctors will typically recommend other tests if you do not have an increased risk of heart disease.

Risk factors for heart disease and stroke include your age and gender, your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and whether you smoke tobacco. If these factors determine you are at a moderate chance of heart disease, your doctor has the most reason to recommend this test. For those with a low chance of heart disease, the test isn’t likely to show any calcium, while those with a high chance are unlikely to learn anything they didn’t already know.

If you have a moderate chance, the coronary calcium scan will tell you how much calcified plaque is in the arteries of your heart. This can help you and your doctor determine if you need to make any lifestyle changes or begin medications.

How The Test Works

Before your visit, your doctor may ask that you avoid caffeine or smoking for at least 4 hours before the test. When you arrive at the hospital, you must take off any clothing and jewelry above the waist and put on a hospital gown. A technician will then attach sensors called electrodes to your chest.

These connect to an EKG machine, which records the electrical activity of your heart during the exam and coordinates the timing of the X-ray pictures so they are taken in between heartbeats, when the heart muscles are relaxed. During the scan, you will lie back on a table which slides into the CT scanner, which is similar to a hollow tube, and your head will be outside of the scanner at all times.

You may receive medication before the exam to help keep you calm and slow your heart rate, so the results will be more accurate. The exam typically takes only 10 to 15 minutes, and once it is completed you are able to resume your regular routine.

What The Results Mean

The results of the scan gives you a number that is known as an Agatston score. You may receive the results the same day as your scan, though it may take longer. If your number is zero, this means that the scan did not discover any calcium. The higher your calcium score, the greater your risk is of developing heart disease.

A score of 100 to 300 means you have moderate plaque deposits, which suggests a somewhat high risk of developing heart disease over the next few years. A score of over 300 means that you have a severe risk of developing heart disease or experiencing a heart attack.

If you receive a high score, your doctor will help you come up with a plan that may include lifestyle changes, such as increasing your physical activity, switching to a healthier diet, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol consumption. Your doctor may also prescribe you medications that will help lower your risk of developing heart disease, including medications for high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Why Choose CVG?

When you need to visit a cardiologist in Atlanta, CVG helps you get the care you need without going to multiple clinics. We offer all our locations the full spectrum of heart tests, diagnostics, and procedures. So, whichever Atlanta area CVG heart doctor and location you select, you’ll get advanced care you can trust.

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Board-certified Doctors

CVG’s twenty board-certified heart doctors will guide you through your healthcare journey with the utmost compassion and individual attention. We aim to provide you with state-of-the-art cardiac care that includes the full spectrum of services, from testing to diagnosis and treatment. The doctor/patient relationship is built on trust. Through our combined efforts, we can conquer any challenge that comes our way.

Invasive therapies may also treat an abnormal heart rhythm, such as electrical cardioversion, which sends electrical impulses through your chest wall and allows normal heart rhythm to restart, or catheter ablation that disconnects the abnormal rhythm’s pathway. Suppose your doctor determines that electrical devices are the best course of action. In that case, you may be given a permanent pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or biventricular (B-V) pacemakers and defibrillators.

How CVG Can Help

CVG offers multiple services that can discover an enlarged heart or conditions that will lead to it. At CVG, we perform stress tests that will observe blood flow and test for various forms of heart disease. There are three types of stress tests that we perform:

A treadmill test is a test in which you will walk on a treadmill that gets faster and steeper every 3 minutes. This will stress your heart so that our nurse or doctor can determine your heart rate and blood pressure.
An echo test is performed before and after your treadmill test to determine how well your heart pumps blood.
A nuclear stress test is a treadmill test that is prefaced by an injection of medicine that shows the flow of blood to your heart.

We also offer cardiac catheterization to diagnose and treat several heart issues. If any of these tests determine a problem, we offer treatment solutions such as atrial fibrillation testing and catheter ablation. Learn more about our services here, or schedule an appointment to talk to our doctors.

Schedule Your Appointment with a CVG Atlanta Area Cardiologist

Expertise, experience, and compassion are the pillars of CVG’s patient-centered cardiac care. Please schedule your appointment with CVG today. Call (770) 962-0399 or 678-582-8586. You may also request an appointment online. If you have an emergency, don’t contact us online; please call 911.