A brand new research from coronary heart researchers at Intermountain Well being in Salt Lake Metropolis finds that routine coronary artery calcium CT scans are additionally proving to be efficient in uncovering different medical points in sufferers, a few of them life-threatening. Credit score: Intermountain Well being
Coronary artery calcium (CAC) CT scans have gotten a extra generally used software to successfully decide a affected person’s future threat of coronary heart illness and coronary heart assault.
These minimally invasive scans measure how a lot calcium is already current within the arteries of the center, in order that clinicians can decide if a affected person wants medical intervention or different preventive measures, together with statin medicines.
Now a brand new research from coronary heart researchers at Intermountain Well being in Salt Lake Metropolis finds that routine coronary artery calcium CT scans are additionally proving to be efficient in uncovering different medical points in sufferers, a few of them life-threatening.
“In nearly one in 10 of these kinds of heart scans, we’re finding other possible medical issues,” mentioned Brent Muhlestein, MD, co-director of analysis at Intermountain Medical Middle. “They could be nothing, as many abnormalities on these kinds of scans are. But they could be something more significant, as was the case for one study participant who had emergency surgery due to a finding on his CAC CT scan.”
The findings are a part of the Intermountain CorCal medical trial, which randomized asymptomatic, in any other case wholesome sufferers to have their threat of growing plaque buildup of their arteries decided in considered one of two methods: both via present remedy requirements or a CAC CT scan.
Of the two,284 sufferers within the Intermountain research who obtained CAC CT scans, radiologists discovered different doubtlessly vital medical findings in 247—or 8.5%—of sufferers.
Greater than half of those findings have been lung abnormalities, however points have been additionally present in nearly each organ included within the CT scan space, together with esophagus, liver, kidney, breast, bone and different components of the center.
“These results show that proactive cardiac CT scans may be useful to identify other health issues for patients, beyond cardiac calcium levels,” mentioned Dr. Muhlestein.
Findings from the research have been offered on the American Coronary heart Affiliation Scientific Periods 2025 in New Orleans.
Of these 247 sufferers, two-thirds have been referred for follow-up care. Of that group, 23 sufferers have been discovered to have thoracic aortic aneurysms, that are bulges within the a part of the aorta within the chest, bigger than 4.5 centimeters.
Certainly one of these sufferers was eight centimeters, which is taken into account an emergency.
“That patient went into surgery within a week of us finding it,” Dr. Muhlestein mentioned. “We’re confident in saying we’ve saved at least one life through this study and that this tool may be useful in other preventive ways.”
Earlier analysis from the Intermountain CorCal research has already proven that CAC CT scans could also be efficient as a manner of figuring out which sufferers may profit from statin treatment to guard their coronary heart well being.
Whether or not it is well worth the time and expense to develop the work of radiologists studying these scans has but to be decided, mentioned Dr. Muhlestein.
“These findings don’t show whether every patient who was recommended for follow-up care needed it. But the findings from our study are significant enough that it’s worth asking that question. We’ll continue to explore these findings as a preventive health tool,” he mentioned.
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Minimally invasive coronary calcium CT scans measuring coronary heart illness threat can discover different potential well being issues (2025, November 8)
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