Coronary CT Angiogram in Greater Boston
A CT scan with contrast that shows your heart arteries and the plaque inside them, and 3 clinics in Greater Boston that list it.
- Time
- One visit Includes an IV line and preparation
- What you do
- Lie still with contrast dye Given through a vein in your arm
- You get
- Images of your heart arteries Sometimes with a plaque report
A coronary CT angiogram is a CT scan of your heart taken while contrast dye flows through your arteries from an IV line in your arm. It shows the arteries themselves and the plaque inside them, including softer plaque that has not yet hardened.
Some clinics add software that measures the plaque. The scan answers a different question from a calcium score and uses more radiation, and plaque analysis in people without symptoms is newer and less established than the scan itself. CT angiography with plaque analysis is offered under brands like Cleerly.
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Coronary CT Angiogram: common questions
Which clinics in Greater Boston list coronary CT angiography?
3 in our Greater Boston guide: Personal Health MD, Men's Health Boston and Synergy Private Health.
How do I prepare?
Centers usually ask you not to eat or drink for a few hours and to avoid caffeine. Tell them about any kidney problems or past reactions to contrast dye.
Is the contrast dye safe?
It is widely used, but it is not for everyone. The imaging center will ask about allergies and kidney health before the scan.
Sources: ACR and RSNA, RadiologyInfo: Coronary CT Angiography; U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Computed Tomography (CT); ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, 2019