One of the screening methods to identify heart disease is the calcium scan or the score test. This helps to judge the risk levels of people.
Is a calcium score test useful?
This scan is considered very useful by doctors as people who are in risk category can be easily diagnosed and treatment started early. Various ranges are mentioned in your calcium score that decides the extent of damage to your heart.
For people in the age group of 40 to 75, the risk of heart disease lies at nearly 8 to 20% and so these are the ones who need a calcium scan. If after the scan you are at a risk level of less than 7%, it means your deposits are very low. You are not at a risk of getting heart disease and the doctor may not order further testing. If you are at borderline, the risk exists and so your doctor, after considering your family history, may decide on the treatment.
When is the calcium test done?
You must be under a doubt as to when you may be asked to take this test. To get a better understanding and for better diagnosis, your doctor will prescribe the calcium score test in Middletown, NJ. He can decide on the treatment mechanism based on this. Whether you are at a risk for heart issues will be known through the test.
Fats, cholesterol and calcium get accumulated in the blood as plaque. These get deposited over time and at one stage they restrict the movement of blood to your heart. The important function of heart to pump blood in and out is hampered. The result is a heart attack. To avoid this, heart scan helps detect the level of plaque at an early stage. The heart scan is known as the calcium score test.
This procedure is a non-invasive one. Generally, a CT scan is done to ascertain the extent of damage. Based on the findings, some more tests may also be recommended or further course of treatment decided.
Whether you need to take the test again depends on your doctor’s findings. Make sure you follow their instructions to get well soon.
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