A new way to know your risk for heart disease
"Hi, there. What's your cardiac score?" It may not be the latest social ice-breaker yet, but more and more health-conscious baby boomers may want to take this simple test to know if they are at risk for heart disease. SLUScan for your heart uses an ultrafast computed tomography (CT) scanner to look inside the heart and its arteries for calcium and plaque build-up. This technology measures and "scores" the amount of blockage in the coronary arteries.
This test is safe, quick and painless. It takes only 30 minutes and uses no needles, dyes or shots. Exercise is not required, and clothing does not have to be removed. It's a new advanced way to check for heart disease before there are symptoms. SLUScan for your heart is now offered at Saint Louis University Hospital and will be available beginning November 1 at SLUCare Cardiology at the Des Peres Medical Arts Pavilion.
The scans are read by board-certified radiologists at SLUCare – the physicians of Saint Louis University. Using valuable information gained from these scans, our heart services professionals, ranked 23rd in the nation by U.S.News & World Report, can recommend heart-healthy lifestyle changes to help slow, stop or even reverse heart disease.
Many times, people with heart disease have few visible symptoms. This is one of the reasons why heart disease is the #1 killer for both men and women in America. It is estimated that 500,000 Americans will die this year from a sudden heart attack. For many, the first symptom of heart disease is a sudden, sometimes fatal, heart attack.
Prime candidates for a SLUScan for your heart are men age 40-plus and women age 50-plus with one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a history of cardiac disease in the family.
"The visual impact of an abnormal fast CT scan showing coronary calcification could be a motivator for patients to enter a cardiac risk factor reduction program," says D. Douglas Miller, MD, a cardiologist and SLUCare chairman of internal medicine at Saint Louis University Hospital.
Currently, health insurance does not usually cover the cost of cardiac scoring. But the insight a SLUScan for your heart provides is worth the $400 charge. Receive a SLUScan for your heart and receive a free fitness monitor with your test, while supplies last. To find out more, click here. Or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-268-5880.