冠状动脉钙(CAC)测试
什么是CAC测试?
CAC测试, 也叫心脏扫描, is a CT scan of your heart done with a multidetector CT (MDCT) that takes detailed images of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. The images show calcium deposits you may have in your 冠状动脉. Higher amounts of calcium are associated with more severe disease in the heart arteries.
为什么人们要做呢?
CAC测试 can measure the amount of calcium in your heart arteries (“calcium score”). Your calcium score gives your health care team an idea of how much plaque is in your heart arteries and may help predict your 未来心脏病发作的风险. Your CAC score can help you determine your risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s particularly helpful if you’re at “intermediate” risk.
CAC testing is useful for making treatment decisions, such as whether to start low-dose aspirin, 他汀类药物治疗或其他药物. These are some groups where it may be useful:
- People reluctant to begin statin therapy and who want to understand their risk and potential benefit more precisely.
- People concerned about restarting statin therapy after stopping treatment because of side effects.
- Men ages 55 to 80 or women 60 to 80 with few risk factors who question whether they would benefit from statin therapy.
- People ages 40 to 55 with an estimated 10-year risk for developing heart disease between 5% and 7.5%, and risk factors that increase their chances of heart disease.
Calcium scoring isn’t recommended for routine screening of people who don’t have symptoms of heart disease and have a low risk of 心脏病s unless they have a strong family history of premature coronary heart disease. 如果你已经有了 心脏病, 冠状动脉搭桥手术(PDF) 或者一个 冠状动脉支架 calcium scoring won’t provide additional information.
CAC扫描有哪些风险?
The scan exposes you to the same amount of radiation exposure as a mammogram. Repeated exposure can have negative health effects such as increased cancer risk. Talk with your health care team about safety and risks f或者一个ny test you’re undergoing.
Tell your health care team if you’re pregnant. If the test is not urgent, it may be able to be delayed until after your pregnancy.
我该如何准备扫描?
Since no dye is used for this scan, no special preparation is needed.
考试过程中会发生什么?
Technicians perform the CAC scan in hospitals or special outpatient clinics.
- Electrodes will be attached to your chest to monitor your 心电图 (measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat). The 心电图 also helps the computer connected to the MDCT scanner create clear pictures of your heart.
- When you’re ready, the table slowly moves inside the machine. The scanner arches around you but doesn’t touch you.
- The technician will watch you closely through a window. You can talk to him or her through a two-way intercom.
- The technician will ask you to hold your breath for short periods.
- CT scanning takes about 10-15 minutes.
CAC扫描是否包括在保险范围内?
The test isn't always covered by insurance and can range in cost from $100 to $400.
CAC扫描后会发生什么?
After the health care team gets the test results, they will make an appointment to discuss the results and next steps with you.
