What to Expect in a CT Heart Scan: My Health Update

Yes, I had a CT Coronary Heart Scan, also known as a CT Angiography or CAC scan. There are so many different names for it that I found it quite confusing.

Why did I need one, I hear you ask? Well, here is the background.

BACK STORY

I have had high cholesterol since I started menopause about twenty years ago.

By high cholesterol, I mean anything between 6 and 8. My last score was 7.5.

I eat healthily, walk a lot, my blood pressure is fine and I do not carry excess weight. But every doctor for the last 17 years has tried to put me on statins. You can read the post I wrote about this a few years ago HERE  I resisted, but last year I eventually gave in. The first one gave me headaches and generally made me feel weird and the second one gave me diarrhoea. I had not checked the side-effects the second time as I thought I might manifest them. But after weeks of debilitating ‘runs’, I ended up going to the doc and she sent me for a colonoscopy.

By the time I went for that procedure I had come off the tablets (because I checked the side-effects, by chance) and within two days, the constant ‘running’ to the loo had stopped.

You might remember that my colonoscopy results were clear and I did not find either the prep or the procedure at the Bon Secours Hospital as bad as I expected.

So, my doctor decided to send me for a CT scan to check my calcium score.

What is a CT Coronary Artery Calcium Heart Scan?

The  coronary artery calcium heart scan is a CT scan of the heart that looks for areas of calcium in the arteries that supply the heart with blood. The amount of calcium detected is then added together to give a score. The more calcium there is, the higher the score.

Calcium signifies calcified plaque in the heart arteries. Plaque is the substance that leads to blockages and when it bursts, known as plaque rupture, it is what leads to a heart attack. The point of this specific scan is to determine a person’s cardiovascular risk. The score is typically obtained in people who are otherwise healthy and don’t have symptoms to try and assess their risk.

DAY OF CT SCAN

I arrived at the Bon Secours Hospital and checked in at Radiology.

My blood pressure was taken and the usual questions were asked and checks made.

Then I was given two hospital gowns and put them on one over the other, so one opened at the front and one at the back. There is no wandering down the corridor showing your bottom off. Ingenious.

A port was inserted to allow the dye to be injected, so that clear images could be taken.

I had to take a betablocker to slow my heart rate down and was assured that this was quite common. Then I was brought into a cubicle with a comfy chair and after half an hour was ready to go.

CT SCAN AND RADIOGRAPHERS

Friendly, beautiful people looked after me that day. They made me comfortable, reassured me and joked with me. Every element was explained. I lay face down on a moveable bed and electrodes were attached to my chest. The bed moved into the scan machine, but it is not at all claustrophobic. I was told that it was important to stay as still as possible.

After one x-ray picture, the bed moved slightly, and then the machine took another image.

An intercom enabled two-way communication between the radiographer and me and he talked to me throughout, telling me when to breathe in and out.

Then the dye (contrast medium) was injected via the port to show more detail in the scan pictures. I was told that I might feel

• hot and flushed
• like I had a metal taste in my mouth
• or that I might have the sensation that I was peeing

I had all three reactions, so I was very happy that I had been warned.

Following the scan, which took all of about 15 minutes, I was brought back to my cubicle and given the most lovely tea and toast.

Half an hour or so later, my blood pressure was checked, all was normal and I went out to pay. The cost was €490 and my plan with my health insurer Laya Healthcare meant that I was refunded €245  in less than two weeks.

RESULTS

The results were back within a week and happily my CORONARY CALCIUM SCORE WAS ZERO and my doctor said I did not need statins.

What does a zero score mean?

A CAC score of zero means there is no calcified plaque in the arteries. As a result, there is a low risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Several studies have concluded that a CAC score of zero means a person can typically avoid taking statins for cholesterol.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Why are statins prescribed to people who might not need them? Yes, certain people should take statins, if they are at risk. But I think the medical profession need to be more circumspect in their prescribing.  We know that people with high blood pressure and diseases like diabetes and obesity are more at risk. Maybe a CT scan could be offered first to those who seem to have minimal risk.

I would love to know your thoughts.

Thank you for reading.

Happy Patrick’s Day to you all.

Hilda xx