SmartHeart™ Scan
Signs of cardiovascular disease can hide for years. SmartHeart—a cardiac coronary artery calcium scoring scan and more—provides answers and helps guide next steps.
What is a SmartHeart exam?
All too often, a heart attack or stroke without warning is the first sign of cardiovascular disease. SmartHeart, for adults over the age of 40 with risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, diabetes, or family history of heart disease with no symptoms, can proactively detect calcium deposits indicating coronary artery disease risk. This allows time for preventive changes before a heart attack or stroke occurs. A painless, 15-minute CT scan, SmartHeart also uses a very low radiation dose to maximize patient safety.
Why schedule a SmartHeart™ exam?
A SmartHeart exam does more than an ordinary cardiac calcium scoring scan. At Princeton Radiology, we look beyond. This non-invasive, low dose exam provides insights beyond heart health.
A SmartHeart exam will provide you with a risk score based on your coronary vessel calcified plaque. It can also detect other critical findings, such as:
- Thoracic aneurysms
- Aortic atherosclerosis
- Heart valve calcification
- Cardiac enlargement
- Lung nodules that are near the heart muscle (for those at risk for lung cancer, a dedicated lung screening CT is recommended)
A SmartHeart™ exam is recommended for adults over the age of 40 with no current heart disease symptoms but with risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, diabetes, or family history of heart disease. This is based on cardiac coronary artery calcium scoring scan guidelines from organizations including the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association In addition, even without these risk factors, at least ONE baseline SmartHeart™ is often recommended every 10 years for men 40+ or women 50+ even without these risk factors. For all patients, depending on results of the SmartHeart™ exam, follow-up scans may be recommended to monitor plaque buildup.
You will be asked not to take caffeine, smoke cigarettes or exercise for at least four hours before the test and dress in a two-piece outfit (separate top and bottom) if possible. You will need to remove your shirt or blouse and any jewelry during the scan and put on a gown. Also, avoid lotions on the chest area before the test. The scan is a painless procedure that takes about 15 minutes.
On the day of your appointment, be sure to arrive on time to fill out any necessary paperwork. Before the procedure begins, the technologist will attach electrodes to your chest, which connect to an electrocardiogram that records your heart’s activity. The preparation is carried out as you lie down on a table that slides into the CT scanner, but your head will be outside the scanner during the procedure. You may be given medication that slows down your heartbeat during the scan. If you are nervous or suffer from claustrophobia, your doctor may suggest a calming medication to help you relax and help ensure that the scan produces the right images. Note that, if you are not at ease, the heart rate accelerates, which may lead to non-conclusive scan results.
After the scan, your doctor will call you in a few days to let you know the score, what it means, and the course of action.
This exam is available at the following locations:
How to Read the Results
Based on the amount, if any, of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries, the radiologist interpreting your scan will assign a risk rating called the Agatston score. Below are the score ranges and their meanings in terms of the amount of plaque buildup and risk of a cardiovascular event:
no plaque burden, very low risk
minimal plaque burden, low risk
mild plaque burden, mild-to-moderate risk
moderate plaque burden, moderate-to-high risk
extensive plaque burden, high risk
A percentile score, which measures the amount of calcium in your heart compared to people in your age group and gender, may also be assigned.
For patients found to be at risk, actions such as medications or lifestyle changes to reduce risk may be recommended.
What to Do After the Results
After receiving your results, your most important next step is to discuss your score with your primary care physician or cardiologist. Even if your risk is found to be very low, your physician may still recommend actions to protect your heart health. For higher risk levels, medication or lifestyle changes may be strongly recommended to reduce risk. Depending on your score, the report on your SmartHeart™ exam from your Princeton Radiologist may also recommend follow-up imaging at certain intervals to monitor plaque buildup. These recommendations are important to follow and discuss with your referring physician.
Over 60 years of excellence in imaging.
And that’s just one reason why Princeton Radiology is the right choice.
Interpretations by board certified, sub-specialty trained radiologists.
Fast scheduling, less time in the waiting room, and same-day or next-day results in most cases.
We cater to patient schedules with daytime, evening and weekend hours for many exams.
From our friendly and caring staff to our beautiful imaging facilities, everything we do is patient-focused.