Heart Scan (Calcium Score)

A coronary calcium scan checks the arteries supplying your heart, helping diagnose coronary artery disease before you experience symptoms. At Reagan Medical Center’s office in Five Forks, Lawrenceville, Georgia, the experienced team performs on-site heart scans. These produce a calcium score the team uses to evaluate your cardiovascular disease risk. Call Five Forks or Reagan Medical Center’s other offices in Dacula, Suwanee, Lawrenceville, or Johns Creek, Georgia, today to learn more about the benefits of having a heart scan (calcium score). You can also book an appointment online.

What is a heart scan (calcium score)?

A heart scan (calcium score) is a special CT scan that detects calcium deposits in your heart’s arteries. You need calcium for strong bones and teeth, but a buildup in your blood can narrow the arteries.

Arteries deliver blood to all your organs and tissues, so narrowing reduces blood flow. The most common cause is atherosclerosis, which results from plaque buildup in your arteries. Plaque contains calcium, fats like cholesterol, and other waste materials that form a sticky residue.

Atherosclerosis in the heart can cause coronary artery disease (CAD). If your heart doesn’t receive enough blood, it can’t work properly, and you might suffer a heart attack. Reduced blood flow to your brain can trigger a stroke.

A heart calcium scan can detect narrowing before you develop cardiovascular disease symptoms.

Why would I need a heart scan (calcium score)?

Heart scan (calcium score) results help the Reagan Medical Center team determine your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. They use your scan results to plan treatment addressing the problem and help you avoid these potentially life-threatening events.

The team typically recommends calcium score heart scans to patients with a family history of early-onset CAD. They may also do a heart scan if your heart attack risk is intermediate (neither low nor high) or uncertain.

Reagan Medical Center doesn’t usually perform a heart scan (calcium score) on patients known to have a high heart attack risk, those who’ve had a heart attack already, patients with a coronary stent, or those who’ve undergone coronary bypass surgery.

What happens at my heart scan (calcium score)?

Heart scans don’t usually require any special preparation. You lie flat on your back on a special table that your provider moves into the doughnut-shaped CT scanner.

When in position, you raise your arms above your head, and your provider puts monitors on your chest. They ask you to stay completely still and momentarily hold your breath for the scan.

Heart scans take about 10–15 minutes, during which the machine takes multiple X-rays to create a 3D image of your heart. Afterward, your provider analyzes the results and discusses the next steps, such as lifestyle changes, medication, or cardiac catheterization procedures.

Call Reagan Medical Center to see if you could benefit from a heart scan (calcium score), or book an appointment online today.