Electron Beam Computer Tomography (EBCT) Coronary Artery Scan

A fatal heart attack is often the first symptom of heart disease, but heart attacks are preventable if the disease is discovered early.

Fifty percent of myocardial infarctions occur in patients with no prior history of disease. Cholesterol is believed to be one of the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease, but 35% with established heart disease have acceptable total cholesterol levels. This data would lead us to believe that current methods for detecting heart disease are not sufficient.

The non-invasive EBCT measures the amount of calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. (It does not require the use of a contrast dye.) The amount of calcium found predicts the possibilty of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and heart attacks in the next few years. It is a good tool to determine the need for drugs and/or life-style changes to prevent more serious consequence of calcium build-up.