They say they use Electrocardiogram but then supposedly they also do a high speed CT scan to look for deposits in arteries along the walls. I was thinking of getting one but wondered if it was worth the radiation.
“I was thinking of getting one but wondered if it was worth the radiation.”
probably. especially IF you have a family history of early heart disease ... it could be worth it for two reasons:
1. If your coronary arteries are totally calcium-free (low calcium score), then you’re mostly in the clear for a while and will have less to worry about.
2. If your coronary arteries are highly calcified (high calcium score), you could consider life-style changes (e.g., more exercise, lose weigh, eat a better diet, quit smoking, cut down on drinkin). Another thing would be to look into the supplement MK-7, which is a form of vitamin K2, which helps keep calcium in the bones and out of the tissues ...
I’m not a doctor, just a patient. I think the gold standard short of the cath lab is a nuclear stress test where they put dye into your veins and do scans before and after exercising. I believe you have to have symptoms like chest pain or trouble breathing before a nuclear test is covered by insurance.
What probably happened to Sanders is what happened to me. I had a syncope incident followed by breathlessness. I was take by ambulance who did a EKG which was normal. At hospital they drew blood early in morning (to test for changes in the blood that indicate a your heart was stressed) my first results were negative but results from a test later in day came back elevated. I was then sent to cath lab where they send a probe into the veins that serve the heart that measure blockages and if a partial blockage how well the blood is flowing by the blocked area. For me their were partial blockages but not enough to warrant a stent.
Two years after that the doctors want me to do a nuclear stress test to see if any sign of additional blockage. Apparently my recent nuclear stress test is much better than the base line when I had my heart attack.
I have seen the information regarding the places that will scan you for plaque but do not know how well the results are in false positives and false negatives. My recommendation is to discuss any symptoms you may be having with your GP and see if h/she would give you referral to cardiologist.
I had a Nuclear Stress test last December on the recommendation of Cardiologist because my right carotid is partially clogged. They did a Ultra sound on my heart and then the Nuclear Stress Test. Thankfully I had no problems and I walk and swim. It’s worth doing that one. In fact they found out my heart is pumping at 60% of capacity, above the norm.