Experts at a Cape Girardeau clinic are putting together pieces of the coronary heart disease puzzle by offering patients a fast, state-of-the-art scan that shows hardened calcium deposits in the heart and arteries -- a sure sign of potential heart problems.

Cape Radiology Group, 70 Doctors Park, offers a procedure known as CT cardiac scoring, which allows specialists to quickly and efficiently determine if a patient is at risk for coronary heart disease.

Patients, either by doctor- or self-referral, can have their heart and arteries scanned, and the results indicate any hardened calcium that has built up in the patients.

Joe True, a registered technologist in radiology and CAT scan, said hardened calcium is a known indicator of coronary heart disease, and people who receive the scan are helping themselves in the long run.

"It's more like getting your oil changed in your car," True said. "It's preventative maintenance."

After the scan, during which 80 pictures of vessels are taken in just 15 seconds, specialists review the results and assign a cardiac score to the patient based on the amount of hardened calcium, or plaque, that appeared. Plaque shows up as a pink area on the scan.

High score signals illness

The higher the score, the more plaque the patient has in their heart and arteries.

Plaque in the arteries causes more narrow passages for blood flow, leading to the probability of a heart attack.

True said the scan is not performed on patients who have chest pain or who already had angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), stent placement or any heart surgery.

"The test primarily is for people who have strong family histories for coronary heart disease," True said. Risk factors include smoking, poor diet, unhealthy weight, lack of exercise and stress.

Results of the scan are sent to a patient's referring physician the same day as the screening. Physicians then proceed with a recommended course of action based on the assigned cardiac score and scan results. Patients get a copy of their score within seven days.

"This is just one piece of the puzzle that helps physicians piece information together," True said.

Prior to the scan, patients consult for about 15 minutes with a registered nurse, who gathers information about patients' medical histories, lifestyle habits, previous checkups, medications and existing health conditions.

True said the nurse consultation is an important part of the screening because it helps patients understand what they are about to experience. The nurses also have an opportunity to educate patients about healthy living and possible lifestyle changes that could decrease their chances of having heart attacks.

Reducing the risks

"The biggest thing is we want people to know what they're getting," he said. "When they leave here, we want them to say, 'Wow. That was a great experience.'"

The procedure costs about $390, and some health care providers pay for part of the cost. Cape Radiology has been doing cardiac scoring since February of last year and sees an average of two or three patients a day.

Dr. C.W. Williams, who works at Cape Radiology, said he hopes patients who receive the scan become more inclined to acquire healthy habits.

"If there is a risk, they may be more inclined to go see a cardiologist," he said. "This is one more tool that gives us information. I think its value is it makes people think about their risk factors and may give them incentive to alter their lifestyles. If it does that, it's worth the cost."

Williams added that the scan is a potential life-saver.

"For a very small percentage of patients who come through here, it may save their lives," he said. "If we can detect the small percentage of patients who don't really know they have heart disease yet and get them to the physician before they have a heart attack, it's a good thing."