Calcium score test helps detect plaque linked to heart disease
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Cardiologist Dr Maya Munigar Apandi, Sp.JP from IHC Pertamina Central Hospital said that calcium score screening helps detect plaque or deposits in the blood vessels that could become blockages posing a risk of coronary heart disease.
“This is something to be wary of because it (coronary heart disease) can develop slowly without symptoms. One way is to undergo an examination called a CT coronary calcium score,” Maya said during a health discussion at Pertamina Central Hospital (RSPP) in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Maya explained that coronary heart disease occurs when the heart’s blood vessels, in this case the coronary arteries that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle, become narrowed or blocked.
“The heart needs food, drink and air, and what feeds it are the coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries become blocked or narrowed, the heart cannot get food or oxygen supply,” she said.
Maya said the calcium score examination aims to detect and measure calcification found in atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessels. This CT scan is performed without invasive procedures, without inserting an IV or contrast dye, and the process is relatively quick.
The results, Maya continued, are important because they help provide a picture of the patient’s risk level, such as the risk of experiencing heart disease in the mild, moderate, severe or very severe range.
If the CT scan results show brighter or whiter areas, this indicates calcification that has been captured and can be calculated using a scoring system called the Agatston score.
The higher the score obtained, the more calcification is detected. This condition needs to be watched because increasing plaque build-up can raise the likelihood of narrowing or blockage in the blood vessels.
This is important because by knowing whether the score is high or low, doctors can assess the patient’s risk and implement appropriate prevention strategies, treatment or therapy.
Maya said calcium scoring is important as a way of detecting calcification, a process that has been underway for a long time and can combine with fat to form atherosclerotic plaque.
The amount of calcification is then assessed using the Agatston score, which is divided into five groups. A score of 0 indicates no calcification was detected, so the risk is relatively low.
“We still have to assess the individual as a whole. We cannot say ‘oh the calcium score is good, so the heart is good’ when the patient is elderly, for example, or has high blood pressure, diabetes or cholesterol. The risk may not truly be as low as the calcium score suggests. We still have to assess the whole picture,” she said.
Meanwhile, if the score is above 400, Maya said, it means there is severe coronary calcification, with a high atherosclerotic plaque burden that usually requires medical evaluation or even further medical intervention.
“If it has reached this stage, we would recommend cardiac catheterisation and, if necessary, perhaps fitting a stent, because you can imagine this is causing a blockage,” she said.