The key to treating most life threatening illnesses is early detection. Men who reach the age of 35 and women who reach age 40 should speak to their primary physician about the early detection tests that they should take. Reaching these ages puts men and women at higher risks for heart disease and different cancers. There are several other factors that may put individuals at higher risks, these factors include:
High cholesterol
Diabetes
High blood pressure
History of tobacco use
Family history of heart disease
Overweight
Stress
The CT heart Scan procedure is simple and noninvasive used for early detection of heart disease. In most cases of early detection of heart disease the damage can be cured, minimized and even reversed. The scanning procedure takes about 10 minutes, one will lie on the scanner and multiple pictures of the heart are taken. A physician or cardiologist will then interpret the scans to determine the amount of calcified plaque in the arteries. The scan itself does not determine whether or not the individual is going to have a heart attack but instead makes visible the amount of calcified plaque in the heart which is an indicator of heart disease.
If the CT heart scan was not thorough enough or the physician detects further disease or a different illness then he or she may ask one to have a 64 Slice CT scan. The 64 slice CT scanner can gather high resolution images of a heart, brain or pair of lungs in about 5 seconds. This scan is specifically exciting for studying the beating heart providing the first clear noninvasive images of the heart and its major vessels.
These scans are critical for patients who have higher risks of heart disease and those who have already experienced some common symptoms, as these scans can essentially save a life. Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death and disability in the United States. Unfortunately for most people the first sign of heart disease is a heart attack. This is due to the fact that heart disease symptoms are often confused with other illnesses and most people are not getting tested for this when they should. Los Angeles cardiologist say all patients who have hit the age requirement should have a CT scan for heart disease and cancer because of the early detection benefits.