RIP Nasser

[Kaladryn]

It may not show blockages, but it is going to show heart wall motion abonormalities , hypertrophy of the walls, and other forms of cardiomyopathy. Someone can have an ejection fraction of 20% and not have a single blockage. In the case of long term steroid use this can happen, I know because it was me once. So to say that a heart scan is the only way to go is very false.

If a blockage is suspected, then the only way to go is to the cath lab and get an angiogram. If something is truly wrong on ekg etc then it is straight to there.

By a heart scan, I assume you mean a MUGA scan? Ive had a few of those and the doc told me its not much better than the echo. He used it as a kind of second opinion to back up the echo he had. Ive also had the scan done where they inject the tracer and then you exercise on the treadmill, and that was nice because it does show if you have any parts of the heart that are dead (not getting any blood supply).

Cardiac Computed Tomography (Multidetector CT, or MDCT)

The problem with heartscans is they can't detect "soft" plaque deposits, only calcified ones. So if you have blockages that are recent, they won't show up on a heartscan. Other than that, they are SUPERIOR to an angiogram. There is also a new type of heartscan being tested that uses MRI technology that will likely replace the angiogram as it can see even soft plaque.

 

[Kaladryn]

My bee some day a Pharmaceutical company will develop a medicine to cure stupidity.

This post made me actually laugh out loud...

 

[maldorf]

Cardiac Computed Tomography (Multidetector CT, or MDCT)

The problem with heartscans is they can't detect "soft" plaque deposits, only calcified ones. So if you have blockages that are recent, they won't show up on a heartscan. Other than that, they are SUPERIOR to an angiogram. There is also a new type of heartscan being tested that uses MRI technology that will likely replace the angiogram as it can see even soft plaque.

Im lucky that my coronary arteries don't have any blockages at all. The docs were astonished when they saw the angiogram. So for now at least I don't have to worry about clogged arteries. Too bad they cant do MRIs on me, I cant get them now because of the defibrillator/pacemaker I have. Im not sure what they would do on me if one was called for, I guess settle for a cat scan. I think CAT scans wont interfere with my device.