Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) in Lake City is offering coronary artery calcium scoring, a cardiac CT scan that details the presence, location and extent of calcified plague in the coronary arteries. This is a non-invasive, low-dose radiation way of identifying any issues. The calcified plaque in the arteries results when there is a build-up of fat and other substances under the inner layer. This can then calcify, which signals the presence of atherosclerosis, a disease of the vessel wall, also called coronary artery disease (CAD). Those with this disease are at increased risk for a heart attack. The goal is to determine if and to what extent CAD is present, even if the patient has no symptoms. The test may be requested by the physician if the patient is over the age of 40, has high cholesterol levels, is diabetic, has high blood pressure, smokes or is exposed to second-hand smoke, is more than 20 pounds overweight, leads a sedentary lifestyle or there is a family history of heart disease. Results of the test are sent to the provider who works with the patient to develop a health plan.
