Coronary Calcification Scans and How They Can Help You!

Heart Disease is the world’s biggest killer. Around 1 in 4 people will die from heart disease or stroke. Luckily, some of the best technology is being used to prevent this. The world’s top experts in cardiology know how important the Coronary Artery Calcification (CAC) scan is – and how it can identify the level of heart disease in any individual. This will allow high-risk people to take action, and stop their hidden disease from causing a heart attack.

Currently, risk-estimation tools such as the “Framingham Risk Calculator” are used to take a guess at whether an individual is likely to have a heart attack. Instead, the Coronary Calcification Scan can directly see the disease level in the arteries of the heart by detecting the calcium in the arteries themselves. This scan result or “CAC Score” is far more powerful in assessing an individual’s real risk. It can take a huge amount of people and re-classify them from the vague “intermediate risk” into genuinely “high risk” or “low risk”. It can allow the correct preventative treatment for those identified. 

The most recent USA  2018 guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA) and many other bodies are clear. The CAC is now considered ”Level 2A Evidence” as the method for clarifying middle- or intermediate risk populations – by looking directly at the disease level that individuals actually have inside.

Whether you are considered “at risk” or not, a CAC scan may be a good option for you. Especially because they are so accessible and cost effective! If you’re interested in finding a clinic that offers scans near you, the IHDA.ie website offers a comprehensive list for clinics in many countries and tons of resources to educate yourself on heart disease and the CAC scan.

Source: IHDA.ie