New Heart Scan Helps Diagnose Coronary Heart Disease

Heart attack; the phrase sends shivers down the spine. Still, we as human beings tend to be arrogant, believing that heart attacks are something that happen to someone else; not to us. I'm guilty of that thought and so is my husband. However, on December 23, 2006, both he and I received a wake-up call. Instead of spending the planned Christmas with our children and grandson, my husband spent his in the hospital recovering from cardiac catheterization and a stint implant after suffering a heart attack.

We hear it every day: Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death and disability in both American men and women. In many cases, the first sign of heart problems may be an actual heart attack, which unfortunately could result in death.

Heart disease and heart attacks are most often caused by a process called atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. As we age, cholesterol builds up in the walls of the blood vessels. This gradual buildup is referred to as plaque. Oftentimes, plaque will grow large enough to obstruct blood flow, become unstable, and/or rupture, resulting in heart attack.

There are, of course, a myriad of medical tests that can help physicians identify heart issues. There are blood tests, electro-cardiograms, x-rays, and scans. However, the newest of these - - the 64-Slice CT Scan - - is currently being touted as the most effective test so far.

Why is This Test Better?

Unfortunately, coronary artery disease has heretofore been difficult to diagnose without an invasive procedure; most typically the cardiac catheterization, a process that threads a thin plastic tube into a blood vessel of the arm or leg into the heart. Unfortunately, the earliest signs of this coronary artery disease aresimple, minute changes in the blood vessel lining or wall of the heart. Because of their small size, however, it is often difficult to pick up such changes without the cardiac catheterization invasive procedure, which can cause complications such as stroke and bleeding.