When In Doubt Image
“I am always surprised at how many patients I talk to who have mild to moderately elevated LDL-C levels, who are recommended drug therapy, and who have not had any heart imaging. Imbalanced cholesterol levels are only problematic if one is forming plaque in the arteries! Even the American College of Cardiology states that Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) testing can help one decide if they need statin therapy. A coronary artery calcium test is a type of x-ray (CT) that detects and quantifies calcium in the walls of the heart (coronary) arteries. The amount of calcification represents hard plaque in the arteries. A score of 0 or a low score means that people without diabetes or heart disease do not need aggressive drug therapy.
0: No calcium detected, very low risk of heart disease.
1-99: Small amount of calcium, mild heart disease risk.
100-399: Moderate calcium levels, moderate risk of heart disease.
400+: High amount of calcium, high risk of heart disease and potential for a heart attack.
A more extensive version of the CAC is the coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) with Cleerly technology. This imaging also used a CT scan and contrast dye to generate detailed 3D images of the heart arteries. Using the Cleerly AI technology, one can see and quantify the hard plaque and more dangerous soft plaque in the arteries. I use these imaging tests with patients to further clarify what a patient’s actual risk of heart disease is and what type of care they need for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.” — Dr. Mark Stengler