Washington, DC-Bethesda clinics›Advanced heart imaging
Washington, DC-Bethesda · Test guide · Heart imaging

Heart imaging in Washington, DC-Bethesda

Scans that look straight at your arteries instead of estimating risk from blood work. Here's what each one shows, who it's for, and which Washington, DC-Bethesda clinics offer them.

Washington DC photograph by Harrison Mitchell · Unsplash
The short answer

These scans look at your arteries directly. A calcium score shows hardened plaque, and a CT angiogram shows softer plaque and narrowing. They help most when your risk is borderline and a scan could change your treatment. If your risk is clearly low or clearly high, they usually add little.

The scans, in plain English

Blood tests are like checking the weather forecast. A heart scan is like looking out the window: it shows what's actually there right now.

Calcium score

A quick CT scan of your heart with a low dose of radiation. You get a number: zero means no hardened plaque was found, and higher means more buildup.

For: People whose risk is borderline and a decision is close

Coronary CT angiogram

A dye goes in through an IV so the scan can show soft and hard plaque and any narrowing. Some clinics add software that measures the plaque.

For: Usually when a doctor thinks more detail would change the plan

Carotid ultrasound

Sound waves look at the arteries in your neck for plaque or thickening, with no radiation. Experts advise against using it to screen people who have no symptoms.

For: When a doctor has a specific reason to look

Pulse wave velocity

Measures how fast your pulse travels along your arteries. Stiffer arteries carry it faster. Quick and painless, but it is mostly a research measure for now.

For: People curious about artery stiffness

Showing 1 clinic that publish advanced heart imaging in Washington, DC-Bethesda

Preventive cardiology practice offering a one-day Executive Physical, a Cardiac CT Calcium Score, echocardiography and stress testing.

Hausner Cardiology Center

Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase
Heart & circulationWhole-body baseline

Hausner Cardiology Center is Dr. Eva Hausner's cardiology and preventive medicine practice in the Chevy Chase Building on Wisconsin Avenue. Its Executive Physical brings heart scans, full body scans, advanced laboratory tests and a treadmill stress test together, mostly on site in one day. The practice also offers a Cardiac CT Calcium Score, echocardiography, carotid sonograms and Holter monitoring.

Tests & services

Coronary calcium score Genetic & genomic testing Cardiac stress test Echocardiogram +3 more
See if it’s a fit →

How a heart scan visit usually goes

  1. Your risk first

    Blood pressure, cholesterol, family history, and a 10-year risk estimate. This decides whether a scan would change anything.

  2. The scan

    Ask whether it uses dye or radiation, how long it takes, and what is included.

  3. Results, explained

    A cardiologist or radiologist reads the images. Ask who reads yours.

  4. A plan

    What the result changes, like starting a statin, and when to check again.

Good to know. These scans add to the basic checks, they don't replace them. A national panel found there isn't enough evidence yet that adding a calcium score helps everyone, so it's most useful when a treatment decision is genuinely close.

If you have chest pain, new shortness of breath, or pain that comes on with effort, get checked right away. That's a job for your doctor, not a screening scan.

Advanced heart imaging: common questions

Which clinics in Washington, DC-Bethesda publish advanced heart imaging?

1 in our Washington, DC-Bethesda guide: Hausner Cardiology Center.

Calcium score or CT angiogram: which one?

A calcium score is quicker, uses less radiation and needs no dye, and it's the usual first step. A CT angiogram shows more, including soft plaque and narrowing. The question your doctor is trying to answer decides which one fits.

What does a calcium score of zero mean?

No hardened plaque was found. That's reassuring, but it isn't a guarantee, because a calcium score can't see soft plaque that hasn't hardened yet.

My cholesterol is normal. Should I get a scan?

Not usually on its own. Scans help most when your overall risk is borderline. Our heart health guide explains which numbers to start with.

How much radiation is involved?

A calcium score uses a low dose. A CT angiogram uses more, plus a dye. Ask the center what dose it uses, especially if you might repeat the scan.

What does it cost, and will insurance cover it?

A calcium score is often self-pay. A CT angiogram is more likely to be covered when a doctor orders it for a medical reason. Our guides on cost and insurance go deeper.

How do you decide which clinics appear on this page?

A clinic appears here when its own published material shows it offers this kind of testing at that location.

Sources (4)
  1. American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, 2019 guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
  2. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment with nontraditional risk factors
  3. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Carotid artery stenosis: screening
  4. American Heart Association, Recommendations for improving and standardizing vascular research on arterial stiffness

This page is educational information, not medical advice, and it is not a recommendation to have or to skip any scan. What is right for you depends on your age, your history and your personal risk, so discuss it with a clinician who knows them. If you have a symptom that concerns you, seek a medical evaluation.