Personalized imaging of your heart

While many healthcare outfits use population-based data to estimate an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease, we believe it is best to personalize risk at the individual level.

The two tests we use to directly investigate cardiovascular disease are the coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan and the coronary CT angiogram (CCTA). Both types of imaging modalities use CT scan images to visualize the coronary arteries (arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle itself) and check for plaque in the artery walls. Plaque is the early indicator of cardiovascular disease, which eventually leads to heart attacks and strokes.

More plaque = higher risk.

While there have only been some early studies demonstrating the benefit of both CAC scans or CCTA in large populations, these tests are ultimately a direct visualization of the coronary arteries and therefore can help individualize risk more than standard blood tests and population-level calculators. 

We recommend patients obtain one of these tests starting around age 40-45, considering a repeat every 5 years. We have been both pleasantly surprised and unpleasantly surprised with the results from numerous patients, which has led to a change in how we manage their health moving forward.