Radiographic imaging

This heart scan picks up calcium deposits in the arteries of your heart. Calcium is one of several materials found in plaque, a substance that can build up in your arteries, causing them to harden and narrow. When plaque builds up in your coronary arteries, it can lead to coronary artery disease and increase your risk for a heart attack.

A calcium-score test is one of the most sensitive approaches for detecting coronary artery disease before symptoms develop. However, it only detects hard, calcified plaque; it does not detect soft plaque. If calcium is detected, you’ll get a score that helps your doctor estimate the extent of your coronary artery disease and develop a treatment plan.

This test uses a very small amount of radiation to create an image of the structures inside the chest including your heart, lungs, blood vessels and bones. These images help doctors see whether your heart is enlarged, which can be a sign of heart failure, or if fluid has built up in your lungs. Chest X-rays also help doctors place pacemakers, defibrillators and catheters.

CT scans help doctors detect plaque in coronary arteries, which is a sign of coronary artery disease. This noninvasive test uses advanced CT technology with contrast dye and special X-rays to create 3-D images of the moving heart, its circulation and great vessels. It provides greater clarity and detail than traditional X-rays.

After the contrast dye is injected and reaches your heart, the CT scanner takes thousands of cross-sectional views of your heart. The scanner then puts the pictures back together to form a 3-D image of your heart.

Unlike a calcium-score screening, cardiac computed tomography can detect soft plaque. It also helps doctors detect an aneurysm or a pulmonary embolism and plan for bypass surgery.

An MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create moving images of the heart as it’s pumping. These images let doctors see the anatomy and function of the heart, great vessels and the sac surrounding the heart.

Heart specialists use this test to help detect many conditions, including:

• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart valve disease
• Pericarditis
• Pulmonary artery disease
• Some forms of congenital heart disease
• Thoracic aortic disease

Depending on the extent of the imaging needed, the scan can take about 30 to 75 minutes.

Your doctor might recommend this pharmacological MRI if you’re unable to exercise or if you can’t increase your heart rate adequately. This test can help doctors determine if you’re getting enough blood to your heart when you’re active compared to when you’re resting.