Overview

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in America. In 1995, over 58 million people were estimated to have heart disease claiming 960,600 lives. Approximately one half of cardiac deaths - 480,000 people – are the result of coronary artery disease (CAD). Most people are unaware they have CAD – 60% of men and 42% of women presenting with acute myocardial infarction or sudden death have no prior history of heart disease.¹

Coronary artery calcium is a marker of atherosclerosis; therefore, has been advocated as an indicator of sub- clinical coronary artery disease. Advancements in CT scanning technology have made it possible to measure coronary artery calcification by screening CT. The Cardiac Scoring procedure can determine whether or not underlying coronary artery calcification disease is present, and provides an estimate of the extent and severity of coronary disease.

Inland Imaging’s Cardiac Scoring procedure uses the state-of-the-art GE LightSpeed Plus CT scanner that offers multi-slice and multi-detector technology to acquire ECG gated images at sub-second speed. The images produced by the GE CT Lightspeed Plus are similar to the Electron Beam CT and have significantly enhanced clarity not available by conventional CT.

CT screening is a non-invasive method of estimating coronary artery disease risk. The patient undergoes a 25 second, low dose CT scan of the heart. Specialized computer software is used to quantify the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries, and calculate a calcium score.

Indications

According to the American Heart Association, patients may have a higher risk for heart disease if the patient meets the following criteria:

• Age
  • Men over 45
  • Women over 55 or postmenopausal
• Tobacco Use
  • Current or former smoker
  • Exposure to a significant amount of second hand smoke
• Family History
  • Father or brother had a heart attack before age 55
  • Mother or sister had a heart attack before age 65
  • Close blood relative had a stroke
• Cholesterol²
  • Total cholesterol:
  • 200-239 mg/dL - Borderline High
  • 240 mg/dL & above - High
  • LDL cholesterol:
  • 130-159 mg/dL - Borderling High
  • 160-189 mg/dL - High
  • 190 mg/dL & above - Very High
• Blood Pressure
  • High blood pressure
• Inactive Lifestyle
  • Less than 30 minutes of physical activiry on most days
• Body Weight
  • Overweight
• Diabetes
  • Currently have diabetes or need medicine to control blood sugar levels

¹Massachusetts Medical Society: Coronary heart disease incidence by sex – US 1997-1987. MMWR 41:526-529, 1992
²http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.pdf