Every 60 seconds, someone in this country suffers a fatal heart attack. In half of those cases, there is NO warning or previous symptoms.
When detected early, chances are good that the progression of the disease can be halted or even reversed. Heart attacks and strokes can be prevented.
A CT Heart scan is your first step in detecting the earliest signs of plaque in your arteries and lowering your risk.
Stress tests don’t show any abnormalities until an artery is at least 70% narrowed. By the time you have a positive stress test, you need a stent or bypass surgery and are already at a very high risk for a heart attack. But most heart attacks occur in arteries that are less than 50% narrowed and are therefore NOT detectable by any form of stress testing. Studies have shown that the “usual” risk factors, such as cholesterol levels, are no better at predicting who will have a heart attack than a coin-toss.
The only non-invasive way to know for sure if you are developing plaque in your arteries is to painlessly look directly at the arteries with a CT Cardiac Scan.
By detecting calcium deposits in the artery walls, the CT Coronary Calcium Scan can detect the presence of the earliest stages of plaque in your coronary arteries years before it becomes severe enough to show up on other tests.
Extensive published research has shown the Coronary Calcium Score to be a better predictor of your heart attack risk than any of the “traditional” risk factors.
In many cases, patients who have been told that they should be on medication to lower their cholesterol are found to actually be at very low risk on the basis of the Coronary Calcium Score. These patients may be able to stop their medications.
Other patients who have been told they are low risk based on “traditional” risk factors discover that their Coronary Calcium Scan shows they have enough plaque to put them at high risk. With early detection, our team of specialists can design an individualized program for you to immediately start to reverse the blockage of your arteries and lower your risk of future heart attacks.
To learn more about how heart attacks happen and how to prevent them with early detection and treatment read Understanding Heart Attacks.
Or watch this video for an excellent discussion of how a Coronary Calcium Scan can detect your plaque:
Cardiac CT Angiography is a revolutionary way to non-invasively visualize the inside of the coronary arteries. With the latest advances in high-resolution scanning, Cardiac CT Angiography can create amazingly detailed and accurate images of the coronary arteries and cardiac anatomy in just seconds.
Cardiac CT Angiography can detect non-calcified plaque, the very earliest stages of atherosclerosis. Cardiac CT Angiography can also accurately exclude the presence of significant blockage in the coronary arteries. These abilities make Cardiac CT Angiography particularly useful in patients who have had chest pain or exertional symptoms.
A Cardiac CT Angiography may also be helpful in those who are considered to be at high risk for coronary artery disease who would prefer to avoid the need for medication if they have not yet started to make plaque in their arteries.
Read more about the Princeton Longevity Center Cardiac CT Angiography Program
Carotid CT Angiography provides a high-resolution image of the carotid arteries, the main blood supply to the brain. Atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries indicates an increased risk of strokesIdentifying the early development of plaque in the carotid arteries allows for earlier and more aggressive treatment to help prevent strokes.
Carotid CT Angiography can also identify early aneurysms, tumors and other vascular abnormalities that can lead to neurologic disease
