Day 19: Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CAC):
Please recall the newer model of heart disease that postulates most heart attacks are caused by vulnerable or “soft” plaque. The bad news is that measuring soft plaque is nearly impossible given today’s technology but since there is a direct relationship between hard and soft plaque deposits, the very fast and non-invasive CAC test can give a person a reasonably accurate measure of this risk factor.
Please recall the newer model of heart disease that postulates most heart attacks are caused by vulnerable or “soft” plaque. The bad news is that measuring soft plaque is nearly impossible given today’s technology but since there is a direct relationship between hard and soft plaque deposits, the very fast and non-invasive CAC test can give a person a reasonably accurate measure of this risk factor.
The CAC test can be performed on anyone, unless they have had a previous by-pass, angioplasty or stenting procedure.
Ideally, the CAC score should be 0, but this rarely occurs. Basically, the higher the number, the higher this becomes as a risk factor for heart disease. Your final score can be evaluated by comparing it to others using a percentile table that can be found on the Internet such as the following:
http://www.newportbodyscan.com/GuidetoCoronaryCalciumScoring.htm
We should point out that the specific role the CAC score plays in risk diagnosis is still being debated but most of the more current research Is demonstrating it has a high predictive value.
Some progressive physicians are also measuring intima-media thickness (IMT) on the carotid artery, at the same time they do the CAC test, although IMT is far more predictive of stroke than it is heart disease.
Tomorrow we will discuss a couple other simple blood values that you may want to measure if you are doing a general chemistry screen on the blood as they have been shown to be helpful in evaluating the risk of heart disease.
Ideally, the CAC score should be 0, but this rarely occurs. Basically, the higher the number, the higher this becomes as a risk factor for heart disease. Your final score can be evaluated by comparing it to others using a percentile table that can be found on the Internet such as the following:
http://www.newportbodyscan.com/GuidetoCoronaryCalciumScoring.htm
We should point out that the specific role the CAC score plays in risk diagnosis is still being debated but most of the more current research Is demonstrating it has a high predictive value.
Some progressive physicians are also measuring intima-media thickness (IMT) on the carotid artery, at the same time they do the CAC test, although IMT is far more predictive of stroke than it is heart disease.
Tomorrow we will discuss a couple other simple blood values that you may want to measure if you are doing a general chemistry screen on the blood as they have been shown to be helpful in evaluating the risk of heart disease.
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