Piedmont Fayette Hospital Now Offers Weekend Heart Disease Screening

Saturday Morning Appointments Available for CT Coronary Calcium Scans

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of Americans according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The American Heart Association’s 2008 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report estimates that one in three American adults suffers from one or more types of cardiovascular disease. In order to increase awareness and promote early detection and education, Piedmont Fayette Hospital (PFH) is now offering CT Coronary Calcium Scans, a quick and painless method for the detection and risk assessment of coronary artery disease, on Saturday mornings.

“To better accommodate our community, we are happy to now offer this service on Saturdays,” says Dr. David Bodne of PFH. “CT Coronary Calcium Scans help physicians determine patients’ risk for heart disease, even if they do not currently have symptoms. Early detection can make an enormous difference in treating heart disease.”

A 64-slice CT (computed tomography) scanner is used for cardiac scoring, a statistical estimate of your likelihood of getting heart disease. The multi-slice scanner takes pictures of your heart and determines how much calcium build-up is in your arteries, a direct indication of heart disease. Calcium build-up is associated with atherosclerosis, which can harden the arteries and restrict the blood flow to the heart, potentially leading to a heart attack.

This simple non-invasive procedure only takes 15 minutes. The multi-slice CT scanner provides multiple images of the heart. The “slices” are actual pictures taken in tiny increments, one at a time, to get the sharpest image of the human heart.

Based on the amount of calcium build up, each patient is given a score. Typical scores range from zero to a high of 3,000. A “zero” calcium score is great news and indicates a reduced chance that a heart attack will occur. A score of 125 in any of the three coronary arteries suggests a more than 50 percent chance that there will be narrowing of at least 50 percent of the artery. After the CT scan your results and score are forwarded to your physician who will use them to assess your risk of heart disease.

PFH has a variety of cardiac and preventative health services available to patients in order to help them to lower their risk for heart disease and continue to lead healthy and active lives. These include a cardiac rehabilitation program, regular health screenings and the PFH Rehabilitation and Fitness Center.

A doctor’s referral is required for the CT Coronary Calcium Scan. Patients should consult with their physician in order to learn more about this screening. Appointments are required, as a limited number of spaces are available per Saturday. The cost of this procedure is $125 and must be paid at the time of registration. Please call 770-719-7007 to schedule an appointment, or for more information visit www.fayettehospital.org.
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