What conditions increase my risk of heart disease?
The following factors increase your risk of heart-related illnesses:
- Hypertension
- Physical inactivity
- Elevated cholesterol
- Smoking
- Excess weight
- Unhealthy diet
- Prolonged stress
- Inadequate sleep
- Overuse of alcohol
- Age
- Genetics
Your risk is also higher if you’ve been through menopause. At the end of your childbearing years, your estrogen levels can plummet, setting you up for heart problems.
What is coronary artery calcium scoring?
If you have plaque in your arteries, it can accumulate over time and cause them to narrow, a condition called atherosclerosis. Coronary artery calcium scoring is an X-ray test that measures the amount of calcium on the walls of the arteries that support your heart muscle.
The scan helps Dr. Kahn evaluate your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. If you have a high calcium score, your chances of having a heart-related event are higher than someone with a low coronary artery calcium score.
What can I expect during a coronary artery calcium scoring test?
When you have a coronary artery calcium scan, a nurse gently places removable patches on your chest and connects them to an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which monitors your heart activity and coordinates pictures of your heart with the X-ray machine.
For the scan of your heart, you’ll lie flat on a table and hold your breath as the technician moves you in and out of a circular CT scanner. The whole test takes a few minutes and is noninvasive. Within a few days, you’ll receive a call with your test results, which can be used to evaluate your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack.
A more advanced scan is the Cleerly Health AI coronary CT angiogram. Dr. Kahn is an advisor to Cleerly Health and can schedule you for this state of the art heart scan if appropriate.
What is a Carotid Intimal Medial Thickness (CIMT) ultrasound?
Dr. Kahn uses the CIMT test to measure the health of the arteries that shuttle blood between your brain and your heart. Thickened plaque on your arterial walls increases your chance of developing heart, kidney, and artery diseases.
With your CIMT results in hand, Dr. Kahn customizes treatment to decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Call the office to book a comprehensive consultation.
