Cardiac CT scans

Kudos for this responsible look at the trade-offs and risks of cardiac CT scanning:

Coronary CT scans are being sold directly to the public, and they have found a market in health-conscious people who can afford them. But screening exams can have downsides. They can cause needless worry, and they sometimes reveal other potential conditions that require invasive procedures like biopsies to diagnose.

The older a person is, the higher the incidence of such incidental findings, studies have shown. In one study, they turned up in 40 percent of older people undergoing coronary CT scans. About a third of the findings were considered clinically significant. And there are as yet no data showing that these incidental findings are saving lives.

Related posts:

1. Cardiac scans are not ready for prime time
2. Cardiac scans are being overused
3. Why too many CT and MRI scans can be dangerous for patients
4. The quality of CT and MRI scans vary, and how old machines can affect the treatment course
5. Should tobacco companies pay for smokers’ CT scans to screen for lung cancer?
6. Risks of cardiac CT scanning
7. A routine brain MRI can lead to incidental findings

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