Heart scans are designed to provide radiologists and physicians in Rockville, Maryland and throughout the country with a clear picture of the patient's heart. Many medical professionals have embraced heart scans for their ability to detect heart disease early, while others believe that further testing is required before they are widely used to screen for heart disease. Still, patients who are interested in a heart scan should contact a medical professional in their area to discuss the procedure and the benefits that a heart scan may offer.
If heart disease is detected early, patients may embrace certain treatments or adopt the appropriate lifestyle changes to avoid further risk or complications. The procedure itself is non-invasive, painless and takes just 10 minutes or so to perform. The patient will simply lie on a table and multiple images of the heart are taken. The radiologist or physician will then examine and interpret the results of the heart scan to determine the amount of calcified plaque in the arteries.
Calcified plaque is an indicator of heart disease. Soft plaque and non-calcified plaque deposits are also indicators of heart disease, but cannot be picked up by a heart scan. Therefore, if a heart scan determines that there is no calcified plaque in the patient's arteries, there is still a chance that they have soft plaque or non-calcified plaque.
Patients who are interested in a heart scan should determine if the procedure is necessary and beneficial to them. To do this, they are encouraged to seek consultation with their doctor or a professional at a scan center in the Rockville area. Men who are over 35 years old and women over 40 years old may be encouraged to have a heart scan. Moreover, younger individuals with certain problems or risk factors may also be encouraged to undergo the scan. These include individuals with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, a history of tobacco use, a family history of heart disease and those with emotional or job-related stress. Overweight or obese individuals are also encouraged to speak with their doctor about heart health and whether a heart scan is right for them.
The heart scan is often used as a screening for heart disease and cancer, meaning it is used for individuals who do not indicate any symptoms of a specific disease, but is used to hopefully identify illnesses or diseases early so that treatment may be administered early or the appropriate lifestyle changes may be made to prevent the problem from progressing. Those interested and those who would like more information are encouraged to speak with their doctor. The cost of a heart scan typically runs around $500, although this may vary.
Learn more about heart scans in Rockville, Maryland..
