Coronary Artery Calcium Screening

Calcium in your heart’s arteries is the earliest sign of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in women and men. Coronary artery calcium screening performed by the radiology specialists at Invision Sally Jobe provides the information you need to get early treatment and prevent serious complications like a heart attack. They offer coronary artery calcium screenings in Aurora, Golden, Littleton, and Parker, Colorado. Call the Invision Sally Jobe Patient Access Team at 720-493-3700 to schedule a coronary artery calcium screening today. 

What is coronary artery calcium screening?

Coronary artery calcium screening is a computed tomography (CT) scan to reveal hardened calcium (calcifications) inside the arteries serving your heart (the coronary arteries).

Calcium accumulates in the arterial wall, where fatty plaque causes damage and inflammation. Your screening shows the amount of calcium, accurately reflecting the plaque’s extent and severity.

Plaque needs to build up and get large enough to substantially block blood flow to your heart before you have symptoms like chest pain. A coronary artery calcium screening reveals clogged arteries and your risk for heart disease long before you experience any symptoms.

The crucial information the CT scan provides gives you and your cardiologist time to develop a treatment plan to protect your heart.

When would I need coronary artery calcium screening?

When to schedule a coronary artery calcium screening depends on your risk of developing clogged arteries. You should consider screening if you’re 40-70 and have any of the following risk factors:

• Family history of heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Cigarette smoker
• High-stress life
• Inactive lifestyle

You may also need a coronary artery calcium screening if you’re younger than 40 and have a family history of high cholesterol.

What should I expect during coronary artery calcium screening?

Your screening is quick, safe, painless, and noninvasive. Your Invision Sally Jobe technologist asks you to wear a gown and then places you on the bed connected to the CT machine. 

They put four electrocardiography leads on your chest, allowing them to synchronize your heart rate with the X-ray images produced by the CT scan.

The table automatically slides into the opening in the center of the machine and sends targeted X-ray beams around your body, getting images from many angles. 

When the CT scan finishes, a computer uses all the different images to create a 3D picture showing your heart’s coronary arteries and revealing calcifications.

The Invision Sally Jobe team evaluates the images and calculates your coronary artery calcification score. A score of zero means no calcification or signs of coronary artery disease.

The scores range from 1-99, 100-399, and more than 400, representing mild, moderate, and severe coronary disease, respectively.

Call Invision Sally Jobe at 720-493-3700 to schedule a coronary artery calcium screening today.