The Scanner looks at the wall of the coronary artery where plaques may form due to deposits of fat and calcium. It can identify tiny deposits of calcium in blood vessels ( calcium acts as a marker for plaque blocking) so Heart disease can be detected early, enabling it to be stabilized through lifestyle changes or medical treatment.

We are more than just a scanning service centre.  Unlike other scanning centres Heart-Scan is a fully cardiac unit.  Located in Alwarpet, Chennai, we can interpret your scan, provide detailed advice on appropriate next steps and carry out any follow-up procedures if required.
TIPS FOR HEART SCAN CANDIDATES :
 
Heart Disease
 
Heart disease is the world’s biggest killer
 
The first symptom of heart disease is often heart attack or sudden death
 
Approximately 1/5 deaths in men and 1/6 deaths in women can be attributed to heart disease
 
If heart disease is diagnosed at the earliest possible stages, before symptoms develop, it can be successfully treated and even reversed
 
If you have any of the major risk factors you could be at risk of a heart attack and may benefit from Heart-Scan (see below).
     
Major Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Smoking Being overweight, obesity
Diet Diabetes (an estimated 80% diabetics eventually die from heart disease)
Lack of physical activity Stress
Alcohol excess Genetic Factors (Family history and
ethnicity, gender)
High blood pressure (Hypertension) Age
High blood cholesterol(hyperlepideamia)  

Coronary Calcium
 
Coronary calcification is the depositing of calcium in the arteries of the heart
 
When these plaques accumulate the arteries become blocked
 
The muscles of the heart no longer receive adequate amounts of oxygen
  This results in heart attack
 

Heart-Scan

 

Heart-Scan is a new technique for rapid non-invasive scanning of the heart to detect heart disease in its earliest stages

 

Heart-Scan is a reliable predictor of future heart disease

 

Heart-Scan can monitor the extent and progression of existing disease

 

Heart-Scan detects heart disease which is often asymptomatic, allowing for early treatment.  Treatment at its earliest stages could possibly reverse, or even stop the progress of the disease.

 

The scan takes 5 minutes, and includes a comprehensive consultation with a member of our medical team

 

No prior fasting or injection is required

 

Why Heart-Scan?

 

With Heart-Scan, we can now detect and accurately quantify even the smallest amounts of calcium in the heart arteries

 

We can confidently diagnose heart disease whenever we find calcium in the heart arteries

 

If calcium is detected at the earliest possible time, this could be years before the first symptoms of heart disease present themselves

 

Previously the only method to detect calcium in the heart was angiography

 

Heart-Scan uses a specially modified, state of the art CT scanner.

     

Diabetes

Diabetes substantially increases the risk of heart disease.  Diagnosed diabetes is increasing worldwide and the prevalence of diabetes more than doubled.

 
The worldwide prevalence of diabetes is currently 194,000,000 and is expected to rise to 333,000,000 by the year 2025.
 
Heart disease is the major cause of death in 65-70% of persons with diabetes.
 
Diabetics have a higher risk of heart disease than non-diabetics.
 
Diabetic heart disease is often silent, asymptomatic and goes undetected and unnoticed.

If you are diabetic you could have undetected heart disease or be at risk of a heart attack and may benefit from Heart-Scan.
 
Heart-Scan Step by Step
So you know what to expect, our Heart-Scan Team has put together an illustrated step-by-step guide to Heart Scanning.
   

1. The Consultation

If you have been referred by General Practitioners or a Consultant, you do not need a consultation and will receive the Heart-Scan immediately.
If you have not been referred by General Practitioners or a Consultant, you will receive a consultation with our trained staff, who will discuss your individual circumstances. They will then advise a Heart-Scan if appropriate. If a Heart-Scan is felt to be inappropriate, they will advise accordingly and suggest alternatives.
     
 

2. The preparation
  Our radiographer, will then prepare you for a heart scanning.
  He will take you into the heart scanning room, which is large and open, and explain that you have to lie on your back on the scanning table.
  He will also explain that you will be scanned twice -the first scan is a ‘scout’ view that enables us to plan the second, more detailed, scan. You will need to hold your breath during each scan (typically around 30 seconds).
     
 

3. The Scan

  Once you feel ready and comfortable, we’ll start the heart scanning.
  It typically takes only a few minutes.
  You simply lie on our scanning table while we acquire pictures of your heart. It really is that simple.
     
 

4. The Report

  Once the scan is finished, we’ll begin processing the scans.
  If you have been referred for heart scanning by your General Practitioner or a consultant, they generally prefer us to pass the result directly to Patient or the patient attender.
  If you have not been referred for heart scanning by your General Practitioner or a consultant, we will discuss your results with you once the scan has been analyzed (up to two hours later). You will be provided with a typed report which includes our specific recommendations.Our trained staff will discuss the implications of the result, and address any questions you may have.
     

Normal and Abnormal Heart Scans: Frequently Asked Questions
Normal Heart Scans
Abnormal Heart Scans
I have been told my ‘calcium score’. What is this? In a normal scan, the calcium score will be very low (zero to 10 units). This means that no significant disease (calcium) was found in the heart arteries If the scan is abnormal, we can tell you how much disease (calcium) is present:

10-100 units: Mild disease
100-400 units: Moderate disease
400+ units: Extensive disease
What does it mean? No significant coronary heart disease was found
The chance of a heart attack in the next 5 years is very low		 Coronary heart disease was found. The chance of a heart attack in the next 5 years is increased
What needs to be done? No specific recommendations, but risk factors (e.g. high blood pressure) might still need to be treated All risk factors need to be AGGRESSIVELY treated – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, according to the advice of your Cardiologist.
What other tests might be recommended? For some individuals, repeating the test in 1-3 years time may be helpful Depending on the individual further tests may be required. If symptoms like chest pain are present, a test like electron beam angiography or myocardial perfusion imaging (nuclear cardiology) may be helpful to see if the coronary arteries are sufficiently diseased that they have become blocked.
Is effective treatment available?   Yes. The point of early detection of heart disease is so that we can start you on the many treatments that are known to be effective. Medication can reduce the risk of further heart attack. Blocked arteries can be unblocked.