Carroll County Memorial Hospital is now offering Coronary Calcium Scoring, also known as a CT heart scan, for a $50 self-pay special, which includes the reading fee.
Early detection is the key to prevention. A heart scan is a simple test that can identify heart disease before symptoms appear. This can allow for early intervention, including lifestyle changes and preventative care, to avoid complications later in life and provides you with a personal risk score and assessment.
“The CT heart scan does require an order from your primary care provider,” said Hilary Taylor, CCMH Director of Radiology. “It is also not recommended for persons with cardiac stents, who have had open heart surgery, arrhythmias, or with a resting heart rate greater than 80 beats per minute.”
Patients that do not have a risk factor and are under the age of 40 should discuss the CT Calcium Scoring exam with their primary care provider to determine if it is appropriate for them.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, then you may be a candidate for this test and should talk to your primary care provider.
- Are you a man over 45?
- Are you a woman over 55? Or, if you have passed menopause, have your ovaries been removed and you’re not taking estrogen?
- Your brother or father were younger than 55 when they suffered a heart attack?
- Your mother or sister were younger than 65 when they suffered a heart attack?
- Do you have high cholesterol?
- Do you have high blood pressure?
- Do you have diabetes?
- Are you overweight?
- Are you sedentary?
- Do you have a stressful lifestyle?
- Do you have any other vascular disease?
One person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease, according to the CDC. About 697,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2020, that’s 1 in every 5 deaths.
“With the latest addition to our state-of-the-art Radiology equipment, CCMH is proud to offer another new service to the public,” Taylor said.
For more information about the scan or to make an appointment, call 660-542-1695.
