At a Glance
| Also called | CT angio, CTA, CTCA or CCTA, cardiac CT; CAC or Agatston score |
|---|
| Injection | Calcium score: none. CT angiography: iodine contrast into an arm vein |
|---|
| Preparation | CT angiography: about 4 hours without food, water allowed; no caffeine before a heart scan. Confirmed on WhatsApp when you book |
|---|
| Time | Calcium score: usually about 10-15 minutes. CT coronary angiography: allow about 1-2 hours. Other CT angiography: usually about an hour |
|---|
| Scanner | Fujifilm Supria CT |
|---|
| Reported by | Our radiologists, Dr. Avinash Bansal and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal |
|---|
| Report | Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp |
|---|
| Price | Confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit |
|---|
| Payment | Cashless with most major insurers and TPAs; empanelled for CGHS, ECHS and MJPJAY |
|---|
| Hours and access | Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-5pm; ground floor, step-free |
|---|
What CT coronary angiography shows
An iodine contrast injection into an arm vein and a scan timed to your heartbeat give 3D views that follow each heart artery along its length. It can show:
- Narrowing (stenosis) of the coronary arteries and roughly how severe it is
- Hard (calcified) and soft (non-calcified) plaque in the artery wall
- Coronary arteries that start or run in an unusual way
- Whether bypass grafts are open
Coronary calcium score
A coronary calcium score (CAC or Agatston score) is a plain scan with no injection that adds up the calcium in the walls of the heart arteries, a marker of long-standing plaque. It is mainly for adults without symptoms whose doctor is deciding on preventive treatment, such as a cholesterol-lowering medicine, and is often also done at the start of a CT coronary angiography. It does not show soft plaque or narrowing, and adds little if you already have heart artery disease, a stent or a bypass. Your doctor reads the score together with your other risk factors. As a rough guide (your report may use slightly different bands, or a percentile for your age):
- 0: no calcium seen
- 1-99: mild plaque
- 100-399: moderate plaque
- 400 or more: extensive plaque
CT angiography of the brain, neck, kidneys and legs
The same technique can map other arteries. Colour Doppler ultrasound is often the first test for the neck and leg arteries, with CT angiography added when a detailed map is needed.
- Brain and neck (carotid and vertebral arteries): narrowing, an aneurysm or abnormal vessels. For the brain, MR angiography is often an alternative without radiation
- Kidney (renal) arteries: narrowing that may cause high blood pressure, especially at a young age or when it is hard to control
- Legs: calf pain on walking that eases with rest, wounds that do not heal, or planning angioplasty or bypass
When doctors request these tests
These are planned tests, usually requested by a cardiologist, physician or surgeon, for:
- Chest discomfort or breathlessness on exertion, to check for narrowed heart arteries
- A treadmill test (TMT) that is unclear or does not match your symptoms
- No symptoms but risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking or heart disease in the family, where a calcium score helps guide preventive treatment
- Checking bypass grafts, or the heart arteries before heart valve surgery
Chest pain happening now, pain at rest or getting worse, or pain with sweating, breathlessness, fainting or spreading to the arm, jaw or back can be a heart attack: call an ambulance or go to the nearest hospital emergency department first. Do the same for sudden weakness of the face, arm or leg, difficulty speaking, a sudden severe headache, or a leg that suddenly turns cold, pale and painful.
How to prepare
Our team confirms the exact preparation when you book on WhatsApp. As a general guide:
- CT angiography: nothing to eat for about 4 hours before; water is allowed. A calcium score alone usually needs no fasting
- Heart scans: avoid tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks and chocolate for about 12 hours before, or as our team advises, because caffeine raises the heart rate. Keep taking your usual medicines unless your doctor says otherwise
- A recent kidney function (creatinine) report may be requested; if you do not have one, the test can be done here before the scan
- If you take metformin for diabetes, tell us: we check your kidney function (eGFR) and advise you. Do not stop any medicine on your own
- Tell us about kidney disease or dialysis, any previous reaction to contrast, asthma or serious allergies, an overactive thyroid, or planned radioactive iodine treatment
- For a heart scan, tell us about heart-slowing medicines, or sildenafil or tadalafil (erectile dysfunction medicines) taken in the last 2 days, as they can interact with medicines used during the scan
- Tell us if you are, or might be, pregnant, or are breastfeeding
- Bring your prescription, a list of your medicines, earlier heart test reports and any stent or bypass details
What happens during the scan
ECG pads on your chest time the images to your heartbeat. You lie on a table that moves through a short, open ring (not a closed tunnel) and hold your breath for a few seconds when asked. A calcium score is painless and needs no injection.
For CT coronary angiography, a small cannula goes into an arm vein. Clear pictures need a slow, steady heartbeat, so if your heart rate is fast you may be given a medicine to slow it, under supervision. As the contrast goes in you may feel a brief warm flush, a metallic taste or a feeling of passing urine; this settles within a minute or two. Tell the team straight away about pain or swelling at the cannula, itching or difficulty breathing. Other CT angiography needs no ECG pads or heart-rate medicine. You wait a short while afterwards, then can eat normally; drink plenty of water unless your doctor has asked you to limit fluids.
Safety: radiation, contrast and heart-rate medicine
CT uses X-rays. A calcium score is a low-dose scan, usually similar to a few months of natural background radiation. CT coronary angiography uses a higher dose that depends on your heart rate, body size and the technique; a slow, steady heart rate allows lower-dose techniques. When your doctor considers the test necessary, the expected benefit is generally greater than the small risk (see CT scan radiation explained).
Most people tolerate the iodine contrast well. Mild itching, a rash or nausea can occur, and serious reactions are rare; if a rash appears later that day or the next, or you feel unwell, contact us or your doctor. Contrast can occasionally affect kidneys that already work less well, which is why we check kidney function first. Breastfeeding can usually continue normally. The heart-rate medicine is not suitable for everyone: tell us if you have asthma or chronic lung disease, a very slow pulse, low blood pressure, heart block or heart failure. You may feel a little tired or light-headed afterwards, so you may prefer to bring someone with you.
When CT coronary angiography may not give a clear answer
When the images are clear, CT coronary angiography is very good at ruling out significant narrowing. It cannot always show whether a narrowing reduces blood flow to the heart muscle, so your cardiologist may add a stress test, a cardiac MRI or catheter angiography in a hospital. The answer may also be less certain, or another test may suit you better, with:
- An irregular heartbeat, such as atrial fibrillation, or a heart rate that stays fast despite medicine
- Heavy calcium or small stents, which can hide the inside of the artery
- Difficulty holding your breath or lying flat
- Reduced kidney function or a previous serious reaction to contrast
CT angiography at AV Scan, Dadar West
WhatsApp +91 98200 51511 with a photo of your prescription, call the same number, or use our booking page. Our team confirms the day, the preparation and the exact price before your visit.
- Reported by our radiologists, Dr. Avinash Bansal, MD (Radiology), and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal, MD (Radiology)
- Done on our Fujifilm Supria CT, part of our CT scan service; ECG and 2D echo, TMT and cardiac MRI are also done at the centre
- Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp; images can be shared with your cardiologist by cloud download or on a CD
- Cashless with most major insurers and TPAs; empanelled for CGHS, ECHS and MJPJAY (see insurance and TPA)
- Open Monday to Saturday 8am-10pm and Sunday 8am-5pm; our team confirms a suitable time for CT coronary angiography
- Ground floor with a step-free entrance on Shankar Ghanekar Marg, near Shivaji Park and Siddhivinayak Temple
