In coronary heart disease, plaque consisting of fat, cholesterol and calcium builds up inside the coronary arteries and forms blockages that diminish or prevent blood supply to the heart. A test of the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries can help detect this condition before a heart attack occurs.
Identification
The result of a coronary calcium scan is called a calcium score. Doctors consider this score and examine pictures of the coronary arteries for evidence of calcium and blockages indicative of coronary heart disease. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a coronary calcium scan can help show whether a person has coronary heart disease.
Function
A calcium score estimates the extent of coronary artery disease based on the amount of calcification detected. Two types of machines can perform a coronary calcium scan. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute indicates that electron beam computed tomography, EBCT, and multidetector computed tomography, MDCT, use an X-ray machine to make detailed pictures of the heart. If calcium is present, the computer creates a calcium score to represent the increased risk for a heart attack or other heart problems within two to 10 years.
Potential
The Mayo Clinic reports that heart scans might indicate whether a person has a higher risk of heart attack before symptoms of heart disease occur. The scan is most helpful for those people at intermediate heart attack risk of 10 percent to 20 percent in the next 10 years. For example, a person between 55 and 65 years old who is a smoker or has borderline high cholesterol or borderline high blood pressure would be a candidate for this test. For these situations, the calcium score could provide useful information to the doctor.
For people with either a low risk or a high risk based on traditional risk factors, a calcium score is not as useful, according to the Mayo Clinic, and probably won't provide any new information. Likewise, if a heart attack or surgical procedure such as angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery has already occurred, a heart scan won't provide any more information on how to treat the condition.
Risks
According to the Mayo Clinic, one EBCT scan of the heart to see the calcium in the arteries could expose the person to the same amount of radiation as 25 to 33 chest X-rays. Repeated heart scans could cause excessive levels of radiation exposure over time and increase cancer risk. Avoid having a heart scan during pregnancy because of the radiation risk.
Controversy
Walk-in medical facilities advertise the availability of quick heart scans, and some do not require a referral from a doctor. But the Mayo Clinic website suggests a cautious approach and reports that routine heart scans for people who have no symptoms of heart disease is not recommended by either the American Heart Association or the American College of Cardiology. And the Cleveland Clinic cautions that this test has limitations. Some forms of coronary disease, including "soft plaque" atherosclerosis, escape detection by this type of scan.
Researchers continue to learn more about the role of calcium in heart disease, and technology continues to improve. For now, work with a health-care team to make any needed lifestyle changes including nutrition, physical activity and smoking cessation to reduce risk with or without a calcium score.
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