One of the most advanced and effective tools for heart disease detection available today is the coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan. It’s a non-invasive CT scan of the heart looking for calcium deposits in the cardiac arteries. Calcium buildup can constrict the arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart, which can lead to serious cardiac conditions including heart attacks. This scan can be a life-saver, showing up artery disease even before one has symptoms.

How does a CAC scan work?

The test uses a CT scanner to take detailed images, is painless and usually takes less than 10 minutes. What you can expect:

Preparation: The patient lies down on a table which slides into the CT scanner. Electrodes are attached to the chest to monitor heart rate.
Imaging: The CT scanner takes a clutch of images of the heart. The patient might be asked to hold his/her breath for a few seconds to ensure that the images are crisp and clear.
Analysing: The images are analysed by a radiologist to detect and measure the extent of calcium present in the coronary arteries.

The result comes in the shape of a calcium score, which serves as an index of the risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD). A higher score denotes a greater risk.

Coronary artery Cal Scan

Which groups should go for a CAC scan?

Those who are at a risk of heart disease but don’t yet have symptoms can benefit from this test. You can consider a CAC scan if you:

Have a family history of heart disease
Have hypertension or high cholesterol count
Smoke or have a family history of smoking
Are a diabetic or overweight
Have a sedentary lifestyle
Have immediate risk factors

What are the benefits of a CAC scan?

Early finding: Early identification of calcium deposit in the arteries facilitates quick intervention, thus halting progression of the heart disease.
Customised treatment: CAC scan results can aid your cardiologist to customise a treatment plan that caters to your specific needs which may take into account lifestyle changes, medications and more tests.
Mental peace: Once you know your calcium score, you can be anxiety-free and become energised to lead a heart-healthy life.

Follow-up action

A high calcium score points towards the need to take proactive steps to reduce risk of heart disease. These could include:

Medicines: You may be prescribed medicines to bring down cholesterol levels or better manage other risk factors.
Lifestyle modifications: You are likely to be advised certain lifestyle modifications like switching to a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, coping with stress better and quitting smoking.
Additional tests: Your cardiologist might recommend supplementary tests to get a more lucid picture of your cardiac health.

Clearly, the CAC scan is a potent, heart-smart test which can save your life by flagging risk indicators even before symptoms manifest, thus facilitating early intervention, bespoke regimens and improved outcomes. No wonder then cardiologists are advising CAC scans quite often if they have the slightest premonition of a cardiac condition. Better safe than sorry.