Heart disease is the number one cause of death for Americans.  This “silent killer” is a progressive disease that can begin early in life and go undetected for years.  For 150,000 Americans annually, the first and only symptom of heart disease is a fatal heart attack.

The disease is caused by complex lipid deposits in the coronary arteries which supply the blood to the heart muscle.  These deposits are called plaques and when they get large enough, they narrow the artery and choke off the blood supply to the muscle.  Disruption of the blood supply causes death of the heart muscle or other symptoms of coronary heart disease.

A large majority of heart disease detected can be stabilized through simple lifestyle changes or minimal medications.  Since heart disease can be detected so early in it’s cycle, a physician can then take aggressive action to prevent a patient from ever becoming symptomatic.

Who can benefit most?
A heart CT profile is most appropriate for men, aged 35-70 and women, 40-70 who have any of the following risk factors:

• Family history of heart disease
• Smoking, yourself or exposure to second-hand smoke
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Overweight

• Pregnant
• Known coronary artery disease
• Resting heart rate above 90-95 beats per minute

How Heart CT profile works.
A heart CT scan is a form of the familiar CT scan which captures cross-sectional images of the heart at subsecond rates.  The unique Quad Slice Helical CT technology allows detection of small amounts of calcium in the coronary arteries.

With a heart CT profile, we can measure the build-up of calcified plaque, if any, and compare it to the standard for your age and gender.  This information will help your physician develop an appropriate heart health plan for you.

Heart CT profile is fast, painless and non-invasive.  This test requires no preparation with the entire process lasting approximately 45 minutes.

What you will learn.
After the volume and density of calcification in your coronary arteries is measured, a number is assigned to each area where calcium was observed and those numbers are totaled to give you a total “calcium score”.

You will receive a copy of your calcium score in the mail.  Your score could be matched to a standard table of results demonstrating how you fit into various risk profiles and the likelihood of obstructive coronary artery disease.  Scores range from 0 to more than 400.  We recommend the sharing of your results with your personal physician to determine the appropriate follow-up steps which should be taken.

Your calcium score can help you by:

• Detecting the collection of calcium earlier than any other technology

• It assists your physician in developing an appropriate prevention strategy

• It can provide your physician with a measurement scale to determine the progression or regression of calcium build-up with treatment

• It can reduce the necessity for other more invasive coronary artery examination

Coronary calcification
Calcium is the body’s most abundant mineral which circulates throughout the body and is vital for bone strength, nervous function and many additional cellular functions.  Calcium will also be deposited in your arteries as part of the atherosclerotic degenerative process.  This calcification hardens the blood vessels.

There is a direct link between the degree of calcification in your blood vessels to the amount of atherosclerotic plaque and therefore, the likelihood of subsequent heart attack or stroke.  Your coronary calcium score provides an indication of the degree of your atherosclerotic process and aids your physician in determining the aggressiveness and appropriateness of treatment options.

What is a heart coronary artery scan?
Coronary artery scanning captures cross-sectional images of the heart in approximately 300 milliseconds.  This allows for the detection of very small amounts of calcium in the coronary arteries.  We measure the build-up of calcified plaque which produces an overall indication of your heart’s health status.  This will aid your physician in developing an appropriate heart health plan.

What is the test like? Is it painful or inconvenient?
Coronary artery scanning is fast, painless and non-invasive.

There is no preparation necessary for a coronary artery scan.  The entire process takes about 30 minutes.  We ask that you complete a brief health history prior to your scan.

There are no injections and no contrast material to be swallowed.  EKG electrodes will be placed on your chest to allow for proper timing of the cardiac cycle.  You will hold your breath during this scan.  The scan itself lasts approximately 45 seconds.

Several days after your exam, you will receive a report from our radiologist that explains the results of the test.  Coronary artery scanning is one piece of critical information in diagnosing your likelihood of coronary atherosclerotic disease.  Family history, lifestyle factors, and other pertinent medical history will aid your physician in developing an appropriate medical program for you.

What do I learn from coronary artery scanning?
Coronary artery scanning will indicate the presence of absence of any coronary atherosclerotic calcification in your heart.  A coronary calcium score will be determined.

Will my personal physician receive results of my coronary artery calcification examination?
There are two circumstances which will require results to be sent to your primary care physician:

• You request results be sent to your doctor
• You were referred to our facility by your doctor

What should I do with the results of the coronary artery calcification examination?
Coronary artery calcium scoring is an important piece of information which is helpful in determining the presence of heart disease and the risk of future cardiac events.  Your coronary artery calcium score, when combined with additional information that your physician will have on your personal medical record, will allow your physician to develop the best appropriate plan and strategy for your total health care.  We encourage patients to work closely with their personal physician by including the results of this test in their medical record and allowing the development of a complete preventive health care strategy.

Will my health insurance cover a portion of the cost of this examination?
Currently, major health plans do not cover the expense of screening examinations.  Our billing staff will be pleased to work with you on arrangement of a convenient payment method which includes personal checks and major credit cards.  Medical expenses are, however, deductible on Federal and State of Hawaii tax returns.  Under some circumstances, travel for obtaining this examination may be deductible as well.  Consult your accountant for further consideration of the deductibility of this expense.

Is there information available about my heart on Internet services?
For further information regarding cardiac disease, the following websites are suggested: