FAQ’s – Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring

Heart health goes beyond low blood pressure, eating right and regular exercise. One way to evaluate your risk of heart attack and stroke is to know your Coronary Artery Calcium score through a Calcium score CT scan of the heart. Read below for more information about the score, the procedure and why it benefits you to get a scan today.

What is it?

A Calcium score CT scan of the heart is a non-invasive common procedure which assesses the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries.

Why would I need one?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people in the United States, according to the CDC, with a person suffering a heart attack every 40 seconds. More than 80% of heart disease and stroke events are preventable, and if you or a loved one is at risk of heart disease, a Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring can help in preventing fatal heart damage.

What are the benefits of a Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring?

Getting a Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring is convenient and an easy way to evaluate your risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attack. The exam is quick and painless, requiring no intravenous contrast injections.

What happens during the procedure?

Prior to your scan, you will lay on the table and a highly-trained DINW CT technologist will attach electrodes to your chest, connecting you to an electrocardiograph machine (ECG), which will record the electrical activity of your heart.

Then, you will be moved into the CT machine, which will capture a series of images of your chest in sync with your cardiac rhythm. The total exam will take about 10-15 minutes, and the images will be reviewed by one of our radiologists to give you your results.

What do the scores mean?

The CT will detect the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries, which is then converted into a score. Based on your score, medical providers can better assess coronary artery atherosclerotic burden and make a more informed decision about what preventative measures (ie. statin use) are indicated to help minimize risk of future cardiovascular events.

How can I make an appointment?

Talk to your primary care provider about if a Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring is right for you. After receiving a referral from your physician, please call (253) 841-4353. You can also use our web scheduler to request an appointment.

Is Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring covered by insurance?

When ordered as a screening exam, some insurances do not cover a Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring, but in the event yours does, your insurance will be billed.

To check if you are covered by insurance, click here.

If your provider orders Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring as a diagnostic exam, most insurances cover the procedure.

For more information on Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring please visit: https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=ct_calscoring