To detect calcium buildup in the plaque lining near the coronary arteries, your doctor orders a Calcium Scoring Scan. This procedure uses a scan known as computed tomography (CT), and the calcium provides a biomarker for heart disease risk.
Who Benefits from a Calcium Scoring by Bethesda MD?
For people with a moderate risk of heart disease, stroke, or heart attack, this imaging test is one that your doctor often recommends. Calcium scoring helps evaluate the likelihood of a future cardiac event recommended for men over 40 and women older than 50. This test does not replace regular screening for heart disease.
How to Prepare for Calcium Scoring by Bethesda MD?
Once scheduled for a Calcium Scoring by Bethesda MD, you should avoid eating, smoking, or drinking anything that contains caffeine for at least a few hours before your appointment.
What to Expect During the Scan?
During the scan, the doctor takes pictures to interpret. You may need to change into a gown, and you may also be asked to remove jewelry. Once on the table, the expert technologist will attach electrodes to your chest that capture images of your heart at resting state. The scan itself usually takes about 20 seconds.
What Do The Results Mean?
The calcium score number provides a risk analysis for a patient’s chance of having coronary artery disease by directly measuring the calcifications on the coronary arteries.
When in need of a Calcium Scoring by Bethesda MD, please call for an appointment.