Should I Get a Heart Scan ?
Our aim is to decrease the number of heart attacks
and other coronary events in our region by identifying individuals
who can most benefit from recent and extraordinary advances in prevention.
In order to accomplish this mission we have introduced
a breakthrough medical technology to the Rocky Mountain region
for the early detection of coronary heart disease...the most important
health problem facing adult men and women in the United States.
Obtaining a coronary scan by Electron Beam (Ultrafast
CT) is a major advance in detecting the early signs of disease
(atherosclerosis
or plaque) before symptoms develop. Providing information safely, quickly
and non-invasively, this revolutionary imaging technology is extremely
accurate and sensitive. It is considered an ideal screening tool in
revealing early coronary atherosclerosis.
Studies in the cardiology literature have proven that
measuring coronary calcium (plaque) by this method is far more predictive
of future heart problems than any other single risk factor. This
is important because for as many as 150,000 Americans each year, the
first and only symptom of coronary heart disease is sudden death. Fortunately,
the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, once detected, can be significantly
halted (or occasionally reversed) by proper medical and life style management.
