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A simple
test that detects blockages in coronary arteries may help
doctors identify patients with "silent" heart disease
without requiring major new medical expenses. The tests --
coronary artery calcium scans -- pinpoint clogs in coronary
arteries caused by plaque. They can warn doctors that
certain patients are at risk of developing heart disease.
Still, "over half of patients who suffer heart attacks have
no warning that they have heart disease until the heart
attack occurs. If we knew the patients were at risk, current
treatments could prevent the majority of these unnecessary
events," according to the chief of cardiac imaging at the S.
Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center of Cedars-Sinai Heart
Institute, Los Angeles. "We had to address the concerns
about unnecessary testing and costs related to this
potentially lifesaving procedure," he said. In the new
study, researchers performed the scan on 1,361 volunteers
who were at intermediate risk of heart disease (neither high
nor low risk) and followed them for four years. High scores,
indicating more plaque, were linked to higher risk of heart
problems. Those with low scores, however, got fewer tests
and the costs were lower, suggesting the tests won't lead to
hugely expensive tests in the general population of those
who are screened. Heart disease is the top cause of death in
the United States, killing an estimated 652,091 people each
year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. |