Originally published October 26 2005
Radiologist promotes new test for assessing heart risk
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Dr. Jeffrey Dardinger, a diagnostic radiologist, believes that a measure of calcium around the heart region, known as cardiac calcium scoring, could provide patients with another important measure of their cardiovascular health.
Some radiologists are now offering a new test called "cardiac calcium scoring," which could provide doctors with another indicator of a patient's risk of having a heart attack.
Most adults check their cholesterol, blood pressure, and even stress levels to learn about blocked arteries which could lead to heart attack.
But, none of those tests can show doctors the amount of hard plaque in the heart which contains calcium.
Dr. Jeffrey Dardinger said that's an important factor.
"When you look at cardiac disease, it's the spectrum of disease that starts off with a little bit of fat that occurs in the blood vessel.
Over time, that can actually calcify," he said.
When that plaque calcifies, it has the potential to restrict blood flow, which raises the risk of having a heart attack.
Dardinger, a diagnostic radiologist says even healthy adults might want to find out their cardiac calcium scores.
The score is a combination of two pictures of the heart.
The other picture--called a coronary angiography --shows how the blood is flowing through the heart.
Both of the tests are conducted back to back with a CT scan.
It takes about 30 minutes to conduct both tests and you get the results the same day.
The resulting score is only one more factor in determining an individual's risk of having a heart attack.
"It's a risk factor just like having high cholesterol or high blood pressure or being a male over forty," Dardinger said.
All these risks can add up, even when you feel fine.
It costs about $700 for both tests; they are not always covered by medical insurance plans.
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