What is the Ultrafast Heart Scan?
The Ultrafast Heart Scan is a quick, non invasive CT scan of your heart that detects calcified plaque in your coronary arteries. The amount of calcified plaque, if any, is directly related to your future risk of heart attack, the need for coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery, or even your risk of dying due to heart disease.
The test itself will take about 25 seconds. As you advance through the scanner, it will acquire numerous cross-sectional images of your heart, each only about 3 mm in thickness. Once the scan is completed, a number, based on the size and density of the calcified plaque will be assigned to each of the areas where calcium is detected. Those numbers will then be totaled to give a “calcium score”. The higher the score, the higher your heart disease risk. A Board-Certified Cardiologist will issue a report with guidelines for prevention, treatment and further testing, if necessary.
Who should have an Ultrafast Heart Scan?
The Ultrafast Heart Scan is most appropriate for men age 35 – 75 and women age 40 – 70 who have any of the following risk factors for coronary heart disease:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Family history of premature coronary heart disease
It is NOT recommended for individuals who:
- Have known coronary heart disease
- Have irregular or fast heart rhythm disturbances
- Are pregnant
How will the Ultrafast heart Scan help me?
The Ultrafast Heart Scan calcium score can help in a variety of ways:
- Detect the build-up of calcified coronary plaque earlier and better than any other non-invasive test.
- Assist your physician in developing an appropriate heart prevention and treatment strategy.
- Provide your physician with a tool that can measure the progression or regression of calcified plaque.
- Motivate you to take measures to lower your cardiac risk (exercise, smoking cessation, stress reduction, etc.)
Will my health insurance cover this exam?
The Ultrafast Heart Scan is a screening exam for people who do not exhibit symptoms of heart disease. While the importance of early detection and active risk management is critical to your heart health, the exam will not be covered by your health plan. Therefore, we will require payment at the time of service. We do accept personal checks and most major credit cards.