“Your first calcium score shows your risk.
Your second calcium score saves your life.”
The first time you get an EBT heart scan, you will get your calcium score. It is a very valuable piece of information. This number is your baseline and what you want to either keep the same, or ideally lower, each year. When either happens, plaque is considered “stable”. Stable plaque does not rupture and your chances for a coronary event are greatly reduced.
The REST of Lisa’s Story
Lisa looked like a very healthy mother of 2 at age 49. Actually, she was a physician’s dream: low cholesterol, low blood pressure, great weight and diet; all far below national guidelines. Except for her mother’s heart disease at age 70, Lisa, herself, had no risk factors. Then Lisa decided to use her gift certificate for an EBT Heart Scan. Her calcium score was 264. This score meant that, left untreated, Lisa was going to have a heart attack, the only question was when. Further tests showed a 95% blockage in her major coronary artery that required 2 stents to open it.
Lisa’s Second Heart Scan
For the next year, Lisa closely followed her treatment regimen. Her cholesterol and blood pressure got even better, even farther below the national suggested guidelines. At her second EBT Heart Scan, Lisa found out that her calcium score had risen by 21%. This meant Lisa’s body was still laying down dangerous amounts of plaque in her arteries. Despite her great lab results and the 2 stents, Lisa was still at risk for a coronary event. Her doctor changed her medications, added high dose omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamin D3.
Third Scan was The Charm 2 years after her surgery, Lisa got her third EBT heart scan. This time, her calcium score had lowered by 2%! Lisa’s risk for coronary disease was now relatively equal to that of someone with a calcium score of zero. The crucial lesson to learn here is that Lisa and her Doctor did not rely solely on mere lab results and national guidelines to assess Lisa’s progress. They repeated EBT scans. They were aggressive in monitoring Lisa’s progress and tailoring treatment to Lisa’s individual needs and response to her individualized treatment.
Serial Scans
Recent scientific data documents the fact that if a patient is treated to stability of plaque, their risk of a coronary event can approach zero. Plaque stability is defined as a calcium score that does not rise by more than 14% per year. The only way that you can see if this is happening is to get a second EBT heart scan. Again, the only way to tell if plaque is stable is to get another EBT heart scan and compare calcium scores.
It Has to be EBT.
There are other heart scan technologies available that give you a calcium score. The problem with them, however, is that they do this at 1/3 the accuracy and 3 times the radiation of an EBT heart scan. With up to a 42% variance in scan to scan accuracy with other technologies, it is impossible to get any useful follow-up data. Insist on an EBT heart scan. It will save your life.