Is Your Heart the Picture of Health?
Now there’s an amazingly simple way to assess the health of your heart. It’s a new, noninvasive test called the CT Heart Score, which can identify heart disease in its early stages.

A Simple Test
Using our new CT Scanner, we are able to take rapid cross-sectional images of your heart. Those images can show calcium build-up in your arteries, a potential sign of coronary artery disease. This “picture” of your heart health will help you and your physician to determine whether any lifestyle changes are needed to reduce or avoid the risks of heart disease.

Is This Test for You?
South Florida Baptist Hospital Diagnostic Imaging department values the appropriate use of medical testing. This test is not for everyone. But, if you are a male age 35-70, or a female age 40-70, with any of the following risk factors, the CT Heart Score may provide valuable information to your physician about your heart health:

• Family history of heart disease
• High cholesterol
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Overweight

If you are currently under a physician’s care for a cardiac-related illness or have a history of coronary artery disease, this test may not be right for you. If you are unsure, talk with your physician.

Comfortable and Painless
When you come for your CT Heart Score, there are no needles, dyes, incisions, or liquids to swallow. You simply put on a gown and have four EKG sensors placed on your chest. As you lie on the bed of the CT scanner, the machine and our qualified CT technologists do all the rest. It’s just that simple. The scan takes just three minutes, and the entire procedure takes only 45 minutes from start to finish - a quick way to begin a healthier future.

Your images will be reviewed on a computer by our board-certified radiologists. A detailed report of your scan and score, indicating your risk of heart problems, will be sent to your physician along with appropriate management recommendations.

Important Cost Information
The cost of the CT Heart Score will be approximately $300. Payment is required at the time of your appointment. Most insurance plans don’t currently cover the cost of the test. However, South Florida Baptist Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging will provide you with documentation that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement consideration.

To Your Heart Health
The CT Heart Score could very well save your life. If you are at risk for heart disease, you should talk with your physician about this important diagnostic test. Together with a personalized health plan, you can increase your chance of having a heart that is the picture of health.

Making an Appointment
You must have a referral from your physician for the CT Heart Score. Once you have this referral, simply call our Diagnostic Imaging department at (813) 757-8350 to schedule an appointment.