Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

A new weapon to fight heart disease!
A new, non-invasive test is now available that in just 15 minutes can detect heart disease

• which every year claims more lives than the next six leading causes of death combined
• at an earlier stage than ever before. The test is a Heart CT Scan.

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

What is Heart CT Scanning?
The new technique is called Calcium Scoring and it enables SJRA specialists to detect atherosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries," the principal cause of heart disease and heart attacks, before the patient is symptomatic. In atherosclerosis, cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels that supply the heart. This creates areas known as plaque, many of which concentrate calcium over time, and thus the term "hardening of the arteries. These plaques can eventually build up into severe blockages and can cause heart attacks. Through the use of new sub-second CT scanners and advanced computer software, these calcified plaques can now be detected and measured. The result of this test is a "calcium score," which can be a marker for relative risk of a heart attack..

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

How is the procedure done?
The new Heart CT Scanning technology typically takes no more than 10 or 15 minutes. The test is conducted in an open environment. Nothing is injected, and patients feel no discomfort. Once the test is completed, the scan is analyzed by a sophisticated computer program. Each coronary artery is individually evaluated and scored to arrive at an estimate of the total plaque burden for a patient. The calcium score is then graphically displayed and compared to patients of a similar age. Until now, this test was only available at major teaching institutions such as the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis.

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

Who should have a Heart CT Scan?
The more risk factors you have, the more highly a Heart CT is recommended. Major risk factors are:

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

• History of heart disease in your family
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Overweight by 20 or more pounds
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Diabetes

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

What should I do if I want more information about Heart CT Scanning?
Talk to your physician, or call toll free 1-877-432-7828.

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

Is the Heart CT Scan covered by insurance?
Insurance companies do not yet cover Heart CT scanning. The cost is about what is charged in the Philadelphia area for a stress test.

Heart CT Scans are offered at our Voorhees and Turnersville offices.

Calcium scoring detects potential problems long before any physical symptoms of heart disease appear, the test can help avoid the necessity of Angioplasty or surgery and provide you with considerable peace of mind. Equally as important, it can serve as an early warning that helps you avoid damage to your heart. Heart CT llows patients with risk factors to see their actual RISK of heart attack. This provides the incentive many patients need to modify their life style thus preventing plaque from causing a heart attack.