Is a CT heart scan beneficial?
On One Hand: CT Heart Scan Has Many BenefitsThoracic CT scans (known as cardiac CT scans when specifically scanning the heart) can detect and help doctors diagnose heart failure and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) as well as conditions like pericarditis (inflammation of the protective tissue around the heart), according to the Mayo Clinic and Medline Plus.On the Other: There Are Some ConcernsCardiac CT scans that claim to show arterial buildup that may indicate a heart attack risk often do not provide useful information, according to the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, there is some risk from exposure to radiation during a CT scan, and this risk increases the more scans a person has, according to Medline Plus.Bottom LineHeart CT scans can help doctors find and therefore treat serious heart conditions. The risk of performing vs.
