Calcium scoring, a screening study used to detect heart disease, is now available in Carroll. St. Anthony Regional Hospital has partnered with Iowa Heart Center and Iowa Radiology to bring the test to Carroll. The test, which is a painless, non-invasive CT scan that takes only a few minutes, evaluates the presence of calcium in and around the coronary arteries, giving an overall picture of the cardiac vessels’ health. The greater the amount of calcium, the greater the risk of the hardening and clogging of arteries that lead to most heart attacks. The beauty of a calcium scoring exam is that it can detect the build up of plaque in the coronary arteries, often years before the symptoms of heart disease develop, while in its earliest, most treatable stage. “Bringing calcium scoring testing to the Carroll area is one way St. Anthony can attack heart disease,” said Gary Riedmann, St. Anthony President. “It’s exciting to be able to make a difference for those who may have had to suffer a heart attack before knowing of their risk for heart disease.”

Those who can benefit from a calcium scoring exam include men over age 45 and women over age 55 who have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, family history of heart disease, or those who are over their ideal body weight. Because it is a screening study, calcium scoring is not used for men or women with known heart disease or those who have symptoms of heart disease such as chest pain or shortness of breath. Medicare and most insurance companies do not pay for the study. The cost for the exam at St. Anthony is $250, which includes the CT exam, an interpretation by a cardiologist, from Iowa Heart Center, for the heart results and a review of the accompanying lung anatomy by a radiologist, from Iowa Radiology, for incidental findings. A physician must order the exam since the results may dictate additional medical follow up.