You belong to a high-risk group if any of the following factors apply to you:

• You have high cholesterol levels
• You have high triglyceride values
• You smoke
• You have high blood pressure
• You are hereditarily at risk
• You have diabetes

Or any of the factors in combination with a sedentary lifestyle. If one or more of the above points apply to you, contact your physician to find out more about how CT can help in the evaluation of your heart.

Cardiac Calcium Scoring: This examination evaluates the amount of calcium in your coronary arteries, which is a predictor of cardiac disease. A positive coronary calcium score result serves as a good indicator of the risk for certain types of heart attack. A negative calcium score result is a good indicator that coronary vessels are intact. The examination is performed in approximately 15 seconds with a relatively low radiation dose.

CT Coronary Angiography: This test is not offered in our office, but can be obtained at St Johns Regional Medical Center in Oxnard – this test needs to be done on a CT scanner having at least a 128 slice capability. This highly detailed examination is performed by injecting a contrast material into a vein in the patient’s arm, which then will enhance seeing the coronary vessels. This will make it possible to obtain a complete 3-D scan of the heart, “a “virtual trip through the heart”, without a catheter. The actual scan takes only 20 seconds, within an examination time of 30 minutes. The precise results of this examination will give the patient’s doctor information about the condition of the patient’s coronary vessels.

You belong to a high-risk group if any of the following factors apply to you:

• You have smoked for more than 10 years
• You are hereditarily at risk
• You are professionally at risk
• You are over 55 years old

If one or more of the above points apply to you, contact your physician to find out if a CT screening scan of the lungs might be appropriate for you.

A CT scan is performed, with a low radiation dose, in just 15 seconds. If the result is negative, clinically significant lung lesions/nodules can be excluded with very high probability. If positive, further diagnostic measures appropriate for the severity of the suspected disorder may be are required.

This is a screening technique that has been discussed in recent medical literature as an extremely sensitive method of detecting early and potentially curable lung cancers, while they are still very small nodules, i.e. less than 1 cm in size.

Once the patient is on the CT Scanner, the test should take no more than 15 minutes.

This is not a painful test. There are no injections. It merely requires one to hold their breath for roughly 20 seconds.

A negative is never absolute, however, it is extremely accurate in the detection of small lung nodules, the earliest sign of lung cancer. A small cancer that may arise in the tracheal / bronchial tree may not be detected by this technique.

If the test is positive, it means you have one or more small lung nodules. But this does not mean you have lung cancer. The test is designed to detect small nodules in the lung. If you have a positive test (one or more nodules), a high resolution (more detailed) CT Scan will be performed. The purpose of this is to further characterize the lesion, to look for certain features that make it more suspicious for cancer, or more likely to be benign. In addition, depending on the number, size and characteristics of the nodules, some patients will go on to have a lung biopsy. This is usually under CT guidance with local anesthesia. A sample of the nodule is obtained through a needle. Some patients may go directly to surgery. There is a large sub-group of patients who will have a recommendation for a follow-up study to try to determine the growth of the nodule.

The cost of the study is $350.00 This is a significant reduction over the cost of a standard CT Scan on the chest.

At this point in time, most insurance companies will pay for this test, as long as you meet certain criteria. Meet with your physician to find out if you meet the criteria. A payment will be requested for this at the time of service. We will be happy to bill your insurance company so that you can be reimbursed (if applicable). 

The abdominal aorta is the main artery of the body. Vascular disease and potentially lethal aneurysms (abdominal aortic aneurysm = AAA) can occur without visible signs or symptoms. Overall, the probability of AAA in the general population is low, but this increases when certain risk factors are present. These include:

– Age, Male gender, White race, Smoking, Family History of aneurysms, History of other vascular aneurysms, Hypertension, Atherosclerotic diseases, Cerebrovascular disease, High cholesterol

• One-time ultrasound screening for AAA is recommended for all men at or older than 65 years. Screening men as early as 55 years is appropriate for those with a family history of AAA. • One-time ultrasound screening for AAA is recommended for all women at or older than 65 years with a family history of AAA or who have smoked. • Re-screening patients for AAA is not recommended if an initial ultrasound scan performed on patients 65 years of age or older demonstrates an aortic diameter of <2.6 cm

Vascular disease can block the carotid arteries to the brain and cause strokes. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States1. Each year, 137,000 people die annually from this disorder (1). A large proportion of strokes is caused by plaque in the carotid arteries. In 2010, it was estimated that Americans would pay about US$73.7 billion for stroke-related medical costs and disability (2).

1. National Vital Statistics Report, 2010 2. American Stroke Association, 2010

Vascular disease can impair circulation to the legs, leading to reduced ability to walk and in some cases, leg amputation. Vascular disease in the legs is a major marker for heart disease.

One in every 20 Americans over the age of 50 has peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It affects eight to 12 million people in the United States (3). Individuals with PAD suffer a five-fold increased relative risk of a cardiovascular ischemic event and total mortality that is two-three fold greater than those without PAD. Therefore, screening for PAD not only identifies patients with asymptomatic PAD in whom risk factor modification can slow or stop the progression of the disease process, but also allows identification of individuals who may also may be at risk of heart attack and stroke due to blockages affecting these organ systems.

3. American Stroke Association, 2010