Heart and stroke preventative screening

Modern medical treatment is so effective in this field that screening is really worthwhile. Coronary disease and stroke account for nearly 35% of all deaths. At 90 Sloane Street we believe in being proactive with regard to vascular and coronary screening.

Nearly a third of first heart attacks occur in people with no risk factors such as diabetes, smoking, family history, cholesterol or high blood pressure. Therefore, we advise the importance of screening, even in the absence of risk factors. There are several types of screening to be considered.

Coronary Calcium Score screening is a simple test which may be considered in patients 35-45 years old. It gives a total score for the amount of fatty plaque which is calcified and also picks up early disease which would be too mild to be found at a routine treadmill test. This allows early preventative treatment where necessary. There is minimal exposure to radiation.
However, it does not detect soft uncalcified plaque, and does not say where exactly the plaque is in the vessel and if it is causing a significant narrowing to the vessel.

In most patients with a high level of risk factors or patients aged around 50 and above,
a CT coronary angiogram is preferable. An injection in the arm of a contrast agent is followed by a non-invasive scan which gives a detailed picture of all the coronary arteries. These scans are a significant step forward against coronary disease.

A myocardial perfusion scan or Rubidium scan is another very useful test used for assessing coronary arteries, but due to the level of radiation is not recommended as a first screening test.

Video: (Below-left) Nearly totally occluded right coronary artery angiogram pre ballooning of narrowing.