WHAT IS A HEART

It’s the muscle at the centre of your circulation system, pumping blood around your body. This blood sends oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body, and carries away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products.Roughly its the size of a fist and sits in the middle of your chest, more to the left.Your heart pumps blood around the body all the time - about five litres of it - and this is called circulation.

WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK.

A heart attack is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked.This happens when there's a reduction in blood supply to part of the heart muscle. This lack of blood flow can cause damage to the heart.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A HEART ATTACK

• Central chest pain or discomfort in the chest that doesn't go away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing. Sometimes, it feels like 'gas' in the upper stomach, sweating and shortness of breath.
• Coughing up blood
• Pain may also be felt in that radiates down the left arm, or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach.
• Unconsciousness seizures or fitting.
• Difficulty breathing (snoring or rasping)
• Rapid heart beat
• Low or undetectable heartbeat.

WHAT CAUSES A HEART ATTACK

1. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of heart attacks.
2. CHD is a condition in which the major blood vessels that supply the heart get clogged with deposits of cholesterol, known as plaques.
3. Before a heart attack, one of the plaques bursts (ruptures), causing a blood clot to develop at the site of the rupture.
4. The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack.
5. Plaque is a collection of fat, cholesterol, and other substances. As plaque builds up, the coronary arteries narrow and blood clots may form. This may limit blood flow and create a risk for the vessel to become completely blocked. This blockage may result in a heart attack.

WHAT IS CT.CALCIUM SCORING?

Computed tomography, more commonly known as a CT scan, is a diagnostic medical imaging test. It works by producing multiple images or pictures of the inside of the body. A cardiac CT scan for coronary calcium is a non-invasive way of obtaining information about the presence, location and extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries—the vessels that supply oxygen-containing blood to the heart muscle. Calcified plaque results when there is a build-up of fat and other substances under the inner layer of the artery. This material can calcify which signals the presence of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). People with this disease have an increased risk for heart attacks.

Because calcium is a marker of CHD, the amount of calcium detected on a cardiac CT scan is a helpful prognostic tool. The findings on cardiac CT are expressed as a calcium score. Another name for this test is coronary artery calcium scoring. The goal of cardiac CT scan for calcium scoring is to determine if CHD is present and to what extent, even if there are no symptoms.

HOW IS THE PROCEDURE PERFORMED?

The Radiographer begins by positioning you on the CT exam table, usually lying flat on your back.You should maintain the correct position and remain still during the exam. Electrodes (small, sticky discs) will be attached to your chest and to an electrocardiograph (ECG) machine that records the electrical activity of the heart. This makes it possible to record CT scans when the heart is not actively contracting.

Next, the table will move quickly through the scanner to determine the correct starting position for the scans. Then, the table will move slowly through the machine for the actual CT scan. Depending on the type of CT scan, the machine may make several passes. Patients are asked to hold their breath for a period of 10 to 20 seconds while images are recorded. When the exam is complete, the Radiographer will ask you to wait until they verify that the images are of high enough quality for accurate interpretation by the Radiologist.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

The entire procedure including the actual CT scanning is usually completed within 10 minutes.

WHO INTERPRETS THE RESULTS AND HOW DOES THE REPORT LOOK?

A Cardiac radiologist. A Negative cardiac CT scan for calcium scoring shows no calcification within the coronary arteries. This suggests that CHD is absent or so minimal it cannot be seen by this technique. The chance of having a heart attack over the next two to five years is very low under these circumstances.

A Positive cardiac CT scan for calcium scoring test means that CHD is present, regardless of whether or not you are experiencing any symptoms. The amount of calcification—expressed as the calcium score—may help to predict the likelihood of a heart attack in the coming years and helps your doctor decide whether the patient may need to take preventive medicine or undertake other measures such as diet and exercise to lower the risk for heart attack.