Calcium scan detects heart risk early

LOS ANGELES, March 23 (UPI) -- Coronary artery calcium scanning lets a person know about how much plaque is in coronary arteries long before symptoms develop, U.S. researchers say.

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai's S. Mark Taper Foundation in Los Angeles say the non-invasive test gives people a baseline from which to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes to reduce their heart disease risk.

However, the test is rarely covered by insurance.

"In our study, patients who knew their coronary calcium scores improved their coronary heart disease risk compared with those with no scan, and those with high calcium scores were motivated to take even more aggressive steps to reduce their risk," Dr. Daniel S. Berman says in a statement.

All 2,137 study participants had an initial, risk factor counseling session and assessment of seven modifiable risk factors -- blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride profiles, blood sugar, weight, waist circumference, exercise and smoking.

Of the total participants, 1,424 were selected at random to have a coronary artery calcium scan, while the rest were assigned to a group which got no scan.

Four years later, the patients were compared to the no-scan group and patients who underwent the scan had significant improvement in systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein "bad" cholesterol levels, waist size among those with large bellies, and weight among those who were overweight.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.