Coronary Artery Disease
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How a Full Body Scan Can Detect Coronary Artery Disease

A computerized tomography (CT) scan can be used to detect abnormalities in the heart and coronary artery system.

A calcium scan in particular is an important tool in the detection of plaque deposits that lead to coronary artery disease. Calcium scans are particularly useful for high-risk individuals that:

• Have a family history of heart disease or aneurysm
• Have high cholesterol
• Have diabetes
• Have high blood pressure
• Are overweight
• Are/were long-term smokers
  

Calcium scans are one of several types of CT scans. The procedure, which takes less than 15 minutes, makes up to 64 digital slices of the heart and compiles a detailed look at coronary arteries. The different scans are:

• Calcium-score screening heart scan -- Used to detect atherosclerotic plaque by the calcium deposits found in the coronary arteries.
• Coronary CT angiography (CTA) -- High-resolution, non-invasive heart imaging test, with three-dimensional pictures of the moving heart and great vessels. It is useful to detect plaques, whether fatty or calcium, that have built up in the coronary arteries.
• Full body CT scan -- Helps to identify potential problems or diseases, even before symptoms appear. This type of scan is also able to analyze the lungs, abdomen, pelvis and the entire heart for problems.

While a CT scan cannot provide explicit details regarding the arteries of the heart like a cardiac catheterization, such as soft plaques, it can provide important information as to the presence of an aneurysm, atherosclerosis and calcium deposits. High calcium levels found in the arteries serve as an indicator of potential disease in the coronary system.

For high-risk people, long-term survival depends on early detection and treatment. CT scans can also analyze increasing coronary calcification in people who are already diagnosed with coronary disease. This helps physicians determine whether to prescribe cholesterol lowering medications or whether the drugs they have already prescribed are working.

After careful evaluation by cardiologists, a report is generated and sent to both the patient and the doctor. As with all medical records, CT scan results are kept confidential. Since this test is considered a “screening tool,” some major insurance companies and Medicare will not cover the cost of the initial scan or any follow-up visits.

Undergoing a CT scan to rule out or detect coronary artery disease may help ward off a potentially fatal heart attack.