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Heart attack scans 'have pros and cons'Date: 09/10/2007 09:30:54
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An article in the New York Times has issued a warning to those thinking that only good can come out of a CT scan of the heart.
The US newspaper claimed that there are potential downsides to the scans, with the cost perhaps not justified by the lack of clarity in the findings, while other incidental conditions may be flagged up which then worry patients.
CT scans are a non-invasive alternative for checking the state of arteries, appealing to many concerned about the risk of heart attacks by taking only ten minutes and emitting no more radiation than a chest X-ray.
Functioning by revealing calcium deposits that supposedly reflect levels of atherosclerosis in the arteries, the CT scans may not in themselves be conclusive enough.
The New York Times said that despite links between calcium and soft plaque in coronary articles, it was the latter which was proven to be more problematic in blocking blood and triggering heart attacks.
Further concerns were raised about the worries triggered by findings of other potential conditions, all of which needed more invasive means of monitoring after the scan.
Heart-scan.co.uk thought differently, claiming that CT scans came accompanied with comprehensive medical advice and were "a reliable predictor of future heart disease".
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