Everyone should know whether he/she has any kind of heart disease or going to have one soon.  The best way to detect heart disease in advance is to get a CT Angiography Test done. CT Angiography Test helps to identify blockages in the heart, which can then be treated accordingly before reaching a state of complete blockage leading to a heart attack. A CT coronary angiogram or "CTCA" is a standard test for detecting heart blockages in advance.

What is a cardiac CT scan?

Coronary CTA (CCTA)/Coronary computed tomography angiography (also called coronary/cardiac CT angiography or CCTA) scan is a noninvasive test that uses X-rays to take images of your heart and blood vessels. A computer combines the images to create a three-dimensional (3D) image of your heart. The results of this scan help find the presence of and percent of narrowing (stenosis) in the coronary arteries and blood vessels that supply blood to the heart or other parts of the body.

Multidetector CT or MDCT scans work fast and are very detailed. They can produce better images with lower radiation exposure.

Who should go for CCTA scan?

A CCTA scan records pictures of your heart. However, one should know who should go for this test. The simple rule is that people who have the presence of heart disease risk factors should go for this test. The risk factors include high blood pressure, sugar (diabetic), and family history of heart diseases. People with these risk factors should go for this scan after the age of 35 or 40yrs.

Since a CT coronary angiogram can reveal plaque buildup and identify blockages in the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack later. People who smoke, who are obese and do not do any exercises also go for this scan.

If someone thinks that, he does not have any symptoms of these factors, then, why he should go for this test. If that is the case, then go for lipid profile test to see whether you have cholesterol higher than 200 and triglycerides higher than 180. If you have both or one of these risk factors then you should go for this CCTA scan. Because these two risk factors produce blockages in your arteries. If major blockages are not there, you can take medications but if there are major blockages, then you have to go for CCTA scan immediately otherwise heart attack may happen to you.

Why do people have a CCTA scan?

You may need a CCTA scan when other tests, such as a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram (echo), TMT Treadmill Test, or stress test, do not give your health care team enough information about your heart.

The test can help your health care team gather additional information on:

• Your heart’s structure and how well your heart pumps blood.
• Scarring of the heart muscle caused by a heart attack. 
• Fluid in the pericardial sac that covers the surface of the heart.
• The amount of plaque buildup and narrowing of your coronary arteries.
• Any abnormalities in the large blood vessels leaving the heart.
• Your risk for a heart attack.

How this CCTA scan works?

Generally, technicians perform the CCTA scan in a radiology department or an outpatient-imaging center.

• Electrodes will be attached to your chest to monitor your ECG. The ECG also helps the computer connected to the CT scanner create clear pictures of your heart.
• Prior to the actual test, a contrast dye (iodine) is injected through an intravenous line placed in an arm vein to make the arteries more visible. An injection of contrast material into your blood vessels and CT scanning to help diagnose and evaluate blood vessel disease or related conditions, such as aneurysms or blockages.
• When you're ready, the table slowly moves inside the machine. The scanner arches around you but does not touch you.
• You may also be given medicines that widen your heart arteries or slow down your heartbeat. These medicines make it easier to see any blockages in the heart arteries.
• The technician will watch you closely through a window. You can talk to him or her through a two-way intercom.
• The technician will ask you to hold your breath for short periods.
• CT scanning takes about 5-10 minutes.
• The entire test typically takes 30 minutes to complete.

This scan is useful to see if chest discomfort comes from lack of blood flow to the heart muscle due to blocked heart arteries (angina). If the heart arteries are normal, your health care team can confidently look into other causes of chest pain that are not related to the heart. With contrast dye, the CCTA scan can also check if coronary artery bypass grafts remain open following heart bypass surgery or detect congenital heart defects (problems present at birth) and how your ventricles are working. 

Talk to your health care professional about how long to fast before the test.

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