Health Matters: Edward Hospital offers heart scan

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Updated: November 9, 2011 4:00PM

Even people who are sticklers about getting regular screenings for cancer of the colon, breast or prostate might be unaware of a cardiac screening, called the Ultra Fast Heart Scan.

The painless, 10-minute UFHS provides early detection of heart disease by measuring calcium build-up in the coronary arteries. This score matters because heart disease begins when plaque forms, builds up and calcifies in the arteries. When plaque and other materials sufficiently block the flow of blood to the heart, the result is a heart attack.

The UFHS is appropriate for men older than 40 and women older than 45 who have any of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, or a past or current smoking habit.

“We want people to be aware of multiple indicators of their risk for heart disease,” says Kevin Callison, manager of education and prevention at Edward Heart Hospital. “That’s why the Ultra Fast Heart Scan includes a free lipid profile, a glucose measure, a blood pressure reading and a consultation with a cardiac nurse who will help you assess your risk of cardiac disease over the next 10 years.”

Follow-up treatment will depend on the calcium score from the scan and other risk indicators:

Patients with little or no calcium and moderate risk factors may get a reminder from their doctor to stay on top of cholesterol and blood pressure management, and watch their diet and exercise.

Higher scores might prompt additional cardiac testing. This might be followed by putting the patient on one or more medications to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels or prevent blood clots.

A positive calcium score may indicate increased risk for a cardiac event in the next five years. Depending on the results of additional cardiac testing, the next step may be cardiac catheterization, a procedure to pinpoint the location and extent of the blockage. A catheter is inserted into the patient’s groin and threaded through the arteries to the site of the blockage. Treatment in the form of an angioplasty may follow, involving insertion of another catheter, this time with a balloon-tip. The balloon is inflated at the site of the blockage to push the plaque out of the way; in some cases one or more stents are then inserted to hold the artery open.

Some cases of severe blockage call for bypass surgery, in which an alternate route for blood flow is created by removing a healthy vein or artery from another part of the patient’s body and grafting it near the narrowed coronary artery.

“We’ve had the Ultra Fast Heart Scan since the late ’90s, and we’ve scanned more than 20,000 people,” Callison says. “For some patients, it’s provided added peace of mind. For others, it saved their lives.”

Edward Heart Hospital is offering the UFHS at a special rate of $75 for anyone who schedules an appointment by Oct. 31 (the regular price is $150). To schedule an appointment, call 877-45-HEART.

Health Matters is a weekly column courtesy of Edward Hospital.