Want to know your heart's score? Appointments are available Monday thru Friday in outpatient services in the Plaza Diagnostic Pavilion at Baptist Hospital Memphis. Appointment is necessary by calling (901) 226- 5905 to schedule your noninvasive coronary calcium scoring scan.

Give us 10 minutes to determine your HeartScore. Only 10 minutes- that's quicker than some of your phone calls! And the information you get from this scanned image of your heart can make a lifetime difference.  Baptist is pleased to offer this technically advanced livesaving procedure.

What is HeartScore? HeartScore (also known as coronary calcium scoring) is a special non-invasive CT-scan of your heart that measures the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries.  Although calcium is necessary for many body functions, it also deposits as plaque in arteries.  Recent research has shown a direct correlation between the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries and the likelihood of a future heart attack. 

Who Benefits Most? HeartScore is appropriate for both men and women, ages 40 to 70, who have any of the following risk factors: family history of heart disease, smoking, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, high blood pressure, high stress levels, and diabetes.

HeartScore is not recommended for people experiencing any of the following: pregnancy, chest pain, coronary artery disease, and resting heart rate above 90 beats per minute.

How does HeartScore work? A heart CT scan takes a series of cross-sectional images of your heart, detecting even small amounts of calcium in the coronary arteries.  The amount and density of the calcium are calculated to determine your calcium score, or "HeartScore." The score will show how you fit into various age and risk profiles and whether you are at risk for obstructive coronary artery disease.

How Does it Feel? How Long Will it Take? HeartScore is a painless, noninvasive scan that takes approximately 10 minutes.  The entire process taken less than 45 minutes.

How can HeartScore help me? More than 2,600 Americans die each day of cariovascular disease.  More than 59 million have one or more types of cardiovscular disease.  This scan is the latest tool used to detect plaque buildup at a time when it can be treated.  Heart disease can be slowed, stabilized, and in some cases reversed, it if it detected in the early stages.  Patients are usually diagnosed when they develop symptoms.  However, the scan makes it possible to diagnose heart disease before symptoms appear. This test, along with risk assessments, will help your physicians develop an appropriate strategy to maintain your cardiac health.  For an individual with exceptionally high risk, your doctor may recommend further testing.