This simple test detects heart trouble before it's too late
What's the story
Heart attacks are increasingly striking the young, with 40% of cases in India involving people under 40 years of age. This trend is leading to the death of 200 Indians every hour due to heart disease.
A major problem is that many young patients show no apparent warning signs before a heart attack.
Here, early detection is key, and one powerful tool doctors are now using is a non-invasive imaging test called CT calcium score.
Let's see how it works.
Explained
Understanding the test
The CT calcium score, or the Agatston score, measures calcium build-up in arteries.
This build-up is an indicator of early stages of coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of heart attacks.
Modern lifestyles are fast-tracking heart disease among the young due to poor diet, stress, smoking, and lack of physical activity.
The test can detect silent heart disease at its earliest stage enabling timely intervention by physicians before it's too late.
Risk assessment
Interpreting the CT calcium score
The CT calcium score gives a risk assessment for heart disease.
A score of 0 indicates low risk, while scores between 1-100, 100-300, and over 300 indicate mild, moderate, and high risk respectively.
Even if you feel healthy, an elevated calcium score can indicate early heart disease years before any symptoms appear.
Target audience
Who should consider getting the test?
While the CT calcium score isn't meant for mass screening, it is important for select groups.
Young people with a family history of heart disease, those with symptoms such as chest pain or fatigue, and those with lifestyle risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, or smoking are recommended to take this test.
It should always be done on a cardiologist's recommendation after proper medical evaluation.