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Cardiac CT Calcium score is a heart examination that aims to check how much calcium buildup is in the heart's blood vessels. Because, this buildup can make a person more at risk of having a heart attack. So, what are the benefits of the CT calcium score test?
Overview of CT Calcium Score
As already discussed a little. Cardiac CT Calcium Score is a procedure to check for calcium buildup in the heart's blood vessels. This examination is a non-invasive examination using a CT scan tool.
This calcium buildup can come from hardened fat and cholesterol. So, the blood vessels become stiff, hardened, or even narrowed so that it can reduce blood flow to the heart which will interfere with heart health.
Benefits of CT Calcium Score Screening for The Heart
The main benefit of CT Calcium Score heart screening is to see calcium buildup in the heart's blood vessels that increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), which can lead to a heart attack. In other words, CT Calcium Score heart screening is useful as an effort to prevent heart attacks even before the symptoms appear.
Here are some of the benefits of CT Calcium Score heart screening to monitor heart health:
1. Identify the risk of coronary heart disease
CT Calcium Score of the heart is most appropriate when a person does not know whether he/she has a risk of heart disease or not. This procedure should also be done when a person has no symptoms of heart disease.
Therefore, this examination can help determine how high your risk of coronary heart disease is.
For example, if your heart CT Calcium Score shows 0-10, it means that you are unlikely to have a heart attack due to coronary heart disease, at least for the next 5 years.
Meanwhile, if the test result shows a positive result with a number above 100, you are at a higher risk of heart disease. About one-third of people who have a calcium test score above 1,000 have a heart attack within 3 years.
2. Helps doctors determine treatment
The cardiac CT Calcium Score examination is very important for doctors to be able to determine treatment, such as whether or not to start low-dose blood thinning medication, especially in people who may have a risk of heart disease.
Usually, a cardiac CT Calcium Score is required for people who refuse certain low-dose cardiac medications but want to know how at risk they are for heart disease.
If the results of the cardiac CT Calcium Score are good, then the doctor may simply ask the patient to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep the risk low.
However, if there is an increased risk, the doctor may consider low-dose heart disease medication to prevent heart attacks.
3. Recognizing heart conditions
Often, the symptoms of heart disease go undetected until the condition worsens. Once symptoms are present, such as chest pain, the heart and its blood vessels may already be hardened or narrowed.
Undergoing a CT Calcium Score examination of the heart can help you find out the condition of the heart before the symptoms appear, let alone worsen.
In addition, undergoing a routine CT Calcium Score heart examination every 3-5 years can find out whether you are still at low risk of heart disease or it has increased.
Who needs this test ?
It is recommended that you undergo a cardiac CT Calcium Score test if:
- Have a family history of young-age heart disease.
- Moderate risk of heart disease.
- Don't know if you are at risk of heart disease or not.
However, not everyone needs a CT Calcium Score heart screening. However, if you have never had a history of heart disease and have never had a heart attack, but want to make sure your heart is in good condition, this test is fine.
If you have already had a heart attack or have been diagnosed with heart disease, your doctor will advise you to undergo other procedures that are more suitable for assessing your heart condition and treatment.
Thank you for reading this article. Have a nice day.
